The home secretary, John Reid, yesterday promised to introduce electronic border controls that will count in and out of the country the 90 million people who travel to Britain each year, but admitted the new system will not be fully running until 2014. Mr Reid said the embarkation controls will form the cornerstone of his package to restore public confidence in the immigration service that he had declared "not fit for purpose". The "eBorders" programme logging all entries and exits will be introduced in stages over the next eight years, starting with highest risk routes, with enforcement action taken against those who overstay their welcome.
Mr Reid said the embarkation controls will form the cornerstone of his package to restore public confidence in the immigration service that he had declared "not fit for purpose". The "eBorders" programme logging all entries and exits will be introduced in stages over the next eight years, starting with highest risk routes, with enforcement action taken against those who overstay their welcome.
Expect a photo op soon of normal immigration folk in shiny uniforms with peaked caps, bold epaulettes and ribbon looking uncomfortable as they beat up the first non-white person to emerge from a plane whilst a beaming JR looks on.
Then they'll all bugger off to Whitehall and the uniforms will be put away and forgotten till the next PR crisis.
This isn't Government, this is damge control masquerading as news management which is all this lot are capable of.
We need a period of quiet competence, not John Reid. keep to the Fen Causeway
