UK IMMIGRATION NEWS

New UK Border Agency Announced

Wednesday, 1 August 2007

The UK government has announced a unified UK border enforcement agency. The new agency will unify the functions of the Border and Immigration Agency, Customs and UKvisas.

In a statement from 10 Downing St, Prime Minister Gordon Brown announced that the new unified agency would “strengthen the powers and surveillance capability” of UK border enforcement.

The new agency will be responsible for implementing an increase in electronic pre-clearance for travelers and migrants to the UK. Many paper-based visa tracking systems will be increasingly replaced by biometric identification systems and real-time tracking.

The Home Office hopes to see all passengers entering and exiting the UK subject to the E-Borders Programme, which will include biometric visas and electronic passport control.