Home Secretary fails to act on warnings from 2013; Number of unchecked air passengers trebles

Andy Burnham MP, Labour’s Shadow Home Secretary, responding to today’s report from the Independent Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration, said:

“In recent days, it emerged how terror suspects are freely walking in and out of the UK through its sea-ports. Now we have this damning report which lays bare the full extent of the security failings at our sea borders.

"More than two years ago, Theresa May was explicitly warned by the National Audit Office that she had left worrying ‘gaps’ in her new Border Force. This report shows that the Home Secretary has failed to act on those warnings and close the loopholes allowing potential terrorists to enter our country unchecked via private planes and boats. And things are about to get worse not better with even more spending cuts to the Border Force on the way.

"Days after it was reported that the mastermind of the Paris attacks entered the UK, we now learn that the number of people entering the country by plane without being checked against the Home Office watchlist has more than trebled. At sea-ports, there isn’t even a basic system to collect basic passenger details - confirming Labour’s warning that security as sea-ports is woefully inadequate.

"Theresa May has repeatedly refused to answer basic questions about these failings. That is simply not good enough. The security of our borders must take priority over her leadership ambitions. She must now act on these warnings, protect the Border Force from further budget cuts and take urgent action to close these alarming gaps in the UK border.”