UK: Initiative being considered some 10 years after it was scrapped
All travellers leaving the UK could have to go through passport checks following an announcement by the Home Office.
The Government minister Beverley Hughes yesterday announced that the reintroduction of embarkation checks is being considered some 10 years after they were scrapped by the last Conservative government.
The aim of the exercise would be to establish how many failed asylum seekers leave the country – and, therefore, how many are “going missing” and staying in the country.
Hughes said: “It is under consideration at the moment – some work is being done on what it would cost to reinstate an embarkation check.”
The system is likely to be very different to how it was in 1994, shortly before it was scrapped; the introduction of computer-readable passports will no doubt make the new system faster and more convenient for travellers but there are still concerns that embarkation checks will cause delays at the UK’s airports.
