HC Deb 17 May 2004 vol 421 cc765-6W
Mrs. Curtis-Thomas

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to ensure that inadequately documented passengers arriving in the UK are intercepted. [170521]

Mr. Browne

Measures to intercept passengers with inadequate documents on their arrival in the UK include risk-assessing all incoming flights, conducting intelligence-led document checks, observing passengers as they disembark from aircraft and planned special exercises sometimes involving other agencies and at certain locations using CCTV.

At the main arrivals control, passengers are interviewed and their documents examined to detect impostors and to identify forged or counterfeit passports or passengers without the requisite entry clearance.

In addition we have strategies in place to prevent passengers with inadequate documents arriving in the UK. These include the use of pre-entry controls in France (Juxtaposed controls), new detection technology screening equipment to detect clandestine entrants and Airline Liaison Officers (ALOs) who offer advice to airlines on the validity of travel documents held by passengers.

The Government are currently legislating to make disposing of travel documents without reasonable excuse a criminal offence. In addition a pilot is planned for airlines to scan travel documents at points abroad and supply copies to the UK Immigration Service. This will deter those who might otherwise destroy their documents en route.

Mrs. Curtis-Thomas

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether surveillance techniques have been extended to airports other than Heathrow, to ensure that inadequately documented passengers are intercepted. [170522]

Mr. Browne

Surveillance techniques to ensure that inadequately documented passengers are identified and intercepted are already in use at major airports other than Heathrow. The UK Immigration Service has the ability to employ CCTV and/or overt surveillance in order to identify and intercept such passengers.

Smaller airports where these methods are not routinely employed are subject to regular risk assessment, monitoring and special exercises with Customs and other agencies. Resources are deployed to identify and intercept inadequately documented passengers on an intelligence led basis.

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