UK Border Force: Heathrow Airport

(asked on 8th March 2021) - View Source

Question to the Home Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to increase the number of Border Force staff at Heathrow Airport; and what steps they have taken to verify the accuracy of reports of excessive waiting times for border checks at that airport.


Answered by
Baroness Williams of Trafford Portrait
Baroness Williams of Trafford
Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms (HM Household) (Chief Whip, House of Lords)
This question was answered on 22nd March 2021

Wait times in airports can be caused by a number of factors, not just related to resourcing. This includes all mandated border security activity, the volume of immigration case working, additional support and checks in relation to Covid-19, and specific security activity. Our teams seek to balance this range of tasking each day. Whilst mindful of passenger wait times and experience, our primary objective is to ensure the security of the border.

Like all public services operating throughout this unprecedented global pandemic, there have been additional pressures placed on Border Force and the safety of the public and our staff remains our priority.

Resource and staffing requirements at every port, including Heathrow, are continually reviewed by Border Force working with airport operators including Heathrow Airport Ltd. Resources are deployed flexibly as and when they are required.

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