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#1
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On 15 Sep, 10:53, Edward Cowling London UK
wrote: I had my first experience of the new "Uk Border" style of immigration at Heathrow last night. After a long journey and 20 minutes in a holding pattern the last thing you want is 15 minutes in a line. But that said I have to admit I was impressed. There were about 6 lines f or EU passports with the new uniformed staff on each line, with a few heavies lurking in case of trouble. Every passport gets scanned and they do actually look you over to see the picture is you. Plus I liked the no nonsense approach. Yes I could have done without the hassle, but it has to be done and they seem to be doing a good job of it. -- Edward Cowling "Must Go - Politician to Heckle !!" I haven't really got my head around the changes but I don't think things have changed radically overnight, apart from the fact that Immigration Officers are now uniformed (if that is to be considered a radical change). The Wikipedia article on the UK Immigration Service [1] states that there are/were trials of the new uniform at Heathrow Airport with a full rollout to all staff in September (i.e. now). In the UKIS was is part of the Border and Immigration Agency (BIA), which is what the Immigration and Nationality Directorate (IND) of the Home Office has become. BIA website: http://bia.homeoffice.gov.uk/ It would appear that this is currently a 'shadow' agency as the enacting legislation, the "UK Borders Bill", is still passing through Parliament. More info on this Bill is here on the BIA website: http://www.bia.homeoffice.gov.uk/aboutus/ourplans/ukbordersbill Travelling earlier in the summer back into Stansted the Immigration Officers weren't uniformed but were scanning passports. The BIA claims that "from 2009 the majority of people will be counted in and out of the UK"... http://www.ind.homeoffice.gov.uk/aboutus/ourplans/ securingtheukborder ....which sounds similar to what authorities in the US hope to do. I'm not so sure they'll be massively successful in this endeavour, even leaving aside the open border in Ireland. Are they scanning passports of those coming off the ferries at all, as they weren't last summer? How about Eurostar passengers, as they weren't doing that at Gare du Nord when I went through there last winter? I also wonder whether the "heavies" really were UKIS staff - perhaps they were airport security staff. I guess they might have been somewhat mean looking UKIS staff, but maybe they were just the more senior supervisors. Bear in mind that the UKIS staff are civil servants, not bouncers! (Reminds me of the time the water company sent a huge mean looking guy round to a place I lived as the water bill hadn't been paid - courtesy of a misunderstanding with our landlord. He was obviously intended to be somewhat intimidating, but he wasn't a bailiff and was really there just for show - something I worked out immediately, which he realised as well, so the whole effect fell a bit flat on its face! But I digress massively!) I'd always expect there to be some coppers close by if things did get ugly - but trouble of that kind at Immigration is really not something you ever hear about. ---------- [1] Wikipedia - UK Immigration Service http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UK_Immigration_Service |
#2
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![]() "Mizter T" wrote in message ps.com... On 15 Sep, 10:53, Edward Cowling London UK wrote: I had my first experience of the new "Uk Border" style of immigration at Heathrow last night. After a long journey and 20 minutes in a holding pattern the last thing you want is 15 minutes in a line. But that said I have to admit I was impressed. There were about 6 lines f or EU passports with the new uniformed staff on each line, with a few heavies lurking in case of trouble. Every passport gets scanned and they do actually look you over to see the picture is you. Plus I liked the no nonsense approach. Yes I could have done without the hassle, but it has to be done and they seem to be doing a good job of it. -- Edward Cowling "Must Go - Politician to Heckle !!" I haven't really got my head around the changes but I don't think things have changed radically overnight, Apparently, the difference is that they are now no longer allowed to decide not to check every person when the queues are long. They now have to check everybody and the queue length is someone else's problem to (not) sort out. tim |
#3
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Mizter T wrote:
...which sounds similar to what authorities in the US hope to do. I'm not so sure they'll be massively successful in this endeavour, even leaving aside the open border in Ireland. Are they scanning passports of those coming off the ferries at all, as they weren't last summer? How about Eurostar passengers, as they weren't doing that at Gare du Nord when I went through there last winter? Having travelled with Eurostar last week, UK Immigration (at Brussels) were extremely variable. The female Officer who I saw was really miserable for some reason, and didn't utter a word. Her male colleague, sitting next to her in the booth, on the other hand was quite jovial and chatty with those he saw. Cheers, Barry |
#4
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In article ,
Barry Salter wrote: Mizter T wrote: ...which sounds similar to what authorities in the US hope to do. I'm not so sure they'll be massively successful in this endeavour, even leaving aside the open border in Ireland. Are they scanning passports of those coming off the ferries at all, as they weren't last summer? How about Eurostar passengers, as they weren't doing that at Gare du Nord when I went through there last winter? Having travelled with Eurostar last week, UK Immigration (at Brussels) were extremely variable. The female Officer who I saw was really miserable for some reason, and didn't utter a word. Her male colleague, sitting next to her in the booth, on the other hand was quite jovial and chatty with those he saw. Practising their good cop bad cop routine perhaps ... Nick -- Serendipity: http://www.leverton.org/blosxom (last update 9th Sep 2007) "The Internet, an ersatz counterfeit of real life" -- Janet Street-Porter, BBC2, 19th March 1996 |
#5
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On 15 Sep, 16:33, Barry Salter wrote:
Mizter T wrote: ...which sounds similar to what authorities in the US hope to do. I'm not so sure they'll be massively successful in this endeavour, even leaving aside the open border in Ireland. Are they scanning passports of those coming off the ferries at all, as they weren't last summer? How about Eurostar passengers, as they weren't doing that at Gare du Nord when I went through there last winter? Having travelled with Eurostar last week, UK Immigration (at Brussels) were extremely variable. The female Officer who I saw was really miserable for some reason, and didn't utter a word. Her male colleague, sitting next to her in the booth, on the other hand was quite jovial and chatty with those he saw. But did they scan in your passport at all? |
#6
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Mizter T wrote:
On 15 Sep, 16:33, Barry Salter wrote: Having travelled with Eurostar last week, UK Immigration (at Brussels) were extremely variable. The female Officer who I saw was really miserable for some reason, and didn't utter a word. Her male colleague, sitting next to her in the booth, on the other hand was quite jovial and chatty with those he saw. But did they scan in your passport at all? I have to admit that I wasn't paying particular attention. The officer in question did spend quite some time with it, however, so I expect so. Cheers, Barry |
#7
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The female Officer who I saw was really miserable for some reason, and
didn't utter a word. Her male colleague, sitting next to her in the booth, on the other hand was quite jovial and chatty with those he saw. Perhaps they are married and she's got the hump with him. |
#8
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dB wrote:
The female Officer who I saw was really miserable for some reason, and didn't utter a word. Her male colleague, sitting next to her in the booth, on the other hand was quite jovial and chatty with those he saw. Perhaps they are married and she's got the hump with him. In bed they take it in turns to... no, I can't say that. |
#9
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On Sat, 15 Sep 2007, Edward Cowling London UK wrote:
Plus I liked the no nonsense approach. What do you mean? I don't remember there being much nonsense in the approach the last few times i've been through passport control. tom -- non, scarecrow, forensics, rituals, bacteria, scientific instruments, .. |
#10
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In message , Tom
Anderson writes On Sat, 15 Sep 2007, Edward Cowling London UK wrote: Plus I liked the no nonsense approach. What do you mean? I don't remember there being much nonsense in the approach the last few times i've been through passport control. You didn't get the guy doing the mime impression then ? I knew they'd stop that :-) -- Edward Cowling "Must Go - Politician to Heckle !!" |
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