David Hanson MP, Labour’s Shadow Minister for Immigration commenting on reports about Border Force staff struggling amid growing pressures said:

“This is extremely worrying news and reveals the size of the crisis at our borders under David Cameron and Theresa May; we already know that on this government’s watch there is real pressure on our border.

“We need to support our over stretched Border Force and that’s why Labour has pledged 1000 new border staff to protect the UK; the Home Secretary now needs to urgently recognise the scale of the crisis her mismanagement has created and put it right. 

"When 98 per cent of staff are warning they don’t have the resources to protect the border the Home Secretary should be listening, but instead Theresa May and her Ministers want to pretend there is no problem.  These are the views of frontline staff who work hard to protect our borders each day, and add to earlier warnings from the Chief Inspector of Borders that gaps exist at our borders that threaten the UK’s national security; Ministers need to stop ignoring these serious problems and match Labour’s commitment to properly resource our borders.”