UK scraps landing cards for international travellers

Friday 17th May 2019 06:52 EDT
 
 

International travellers will now be able to enter the UK through e-gates at passport control, since the country is scrapping all landing cards as part of Border Force changes. Border Force director general Paul Lincoln said the change would "help meet the challenge of growing passenger numbers".

He said: "These changes will enable frontline officers to focus their skills and time on border security issues and on cohorts who present the greatest risk of immigration abuse." But unions warned it risked weakening immigration control.

Lucy Moreton, Immigration Service Union general secretary, accused the Home Office of "ignoring" warnings from experienced staff about the long-term impact of scrapping the landing cards. Landing cards currently have to be filled by people from countries outside the EU. They ask details of the person's visit to the UK as well as where and how long they are planning to stay. Moreton added: "Although in most cases landing cards are retained for purely statistical reasons they do contain record of what was said to an officer on arrival." This facility will help travellers entering the UK from seven countries.


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