border control delays...

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frank
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Re: border control delays...

Postby frank » Mon Apr 30, 2012 3:18 pm

ashtondav wrote:.
In almost all other EU countries there are no passport controls between borders. Do business between any of them and the UK and you Queue for an hour.
Complain and send an email demanding improvements.
http://www.abc.es/20120430/espana/abci- ... 01336.html
Schengen seemed a good idea, problem is the likes of France, Spain, Greece etc like to opt out when it suits them, it seems the free flow of people into your country is not always such a great idea. Like Katy, I have more things to be worried about than a few visitors having to wait to enter UK, we're not a Schengen country, they best get used to it. I certainly won't be writing.
Regards, Frank

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masterob
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Re: border control delays...

Postby masterob » Mon Apr 30, 2012 3:44 pm

ashtondav wrote:
No, for EU citizens it is just a swipe of the passport through the scanner. The technology then says YES, NO, or FURTHER CHECKS. It's a 10 second process.

A monkey could do it.

In almost all other EU countries there are no passport controls between borders. Do business between any of them and the UK and you Queue for an hour.
Presumably you are an ex-Immigration Officer familiar with the work and are thus able to write that a monkey could do the job? Somehow I suspect not otherwise you would know that many people from within the EU travel on their ID Cards rather than on Passports. So how does that work?

I'm sure you also know about the Schengen Agreement and that the UK (and Ireland) are not signatories hence the Border Checks. Incidentally, I gather Germany and France may re-introduce such checks so you may find yourself queueing there also when travelling between those Countries. I think you best get used to it.

I shan't be bothering to write to the Home Office over thus non-event.

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Julie
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Re: border control delays...

Postby Julie » Mon Apr 30, 2012 4:05 pm

It seems strange that all of a sudden everyone is complaining, why were people not complaining before, I have never waited a unreasonable amount of time to enter the UK, but I have waited over 3 hours to enter India, over a hour to enter africa and even longer to enter USA, but if it is for my benefit, I personally don't mind, I wonder was the person who satrted this thread at the airport and in the queue ? some people just complain and follow others opninons just like sheep, why ask people to complain when they were not there, so whats to complain about if you were not there?
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Re: border control delays...

Postby frank » Mon Apr 30, 2012 4:56 pm

masterob wrote: Incidentally, I gather Germany and France may re-introduce such checks so you may find yourself queueing there also when travelling between those Countries. I think you best get used to it.
In the link I gave, Spain has dropped Schengen temporarily (?) and are checking people coming into Spain. and detaining them and denying them entry. Perhaps the OP should be as concerned about what is happening in Spain rather than be worried about the average traveller to UK having to wait a few hours. Personally I'd have more sympathy for the many of thousands of travellers having their flights cancelled in Spain. An hour or two wait is nothing compared with having your travel plans completely ruined.
Regards, Frank

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gus-lopez
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Re: border control delays...

Postby gus-lopez » Mon Apr 30, 2012 5:07 pm

I always complain . About anything . The slightest hold-up. I don't do queues. Even the telephone not answered immediately/mobile turned off will unhinge me. :wtf: In this day & age there is no reason for it whatsoever.I have no patience,none.

It would be worthwhile if they were keeping out the terrorists, illegals, etc; etc; but in 99,9% in both the US & the UK they are on the inside looking out !
frank wrote:
masterob wrote: Incidentally, I gather Germany and France may re-introduce such checks so you may find yourself queueing there also when travelling between those Countries. I think you best get used to it.
In the link I gave, Spain has dropped Schengen temporarily (?) and are checking people coming into Spain. and detaining them and denying them entry. Perhaps the OP should be as concerned about what is happening in Spain rather than be worried about the average traveller to UK having to wait a few hours. Personally I'd have more sympathy for the many of thousands of travellers having their flights cancelled in Spain. An hour or two wait is nothing compared with having your travel plans completely ruined.
Finishes today . It was due to some meeting in Barcelona that escapes my memory at the moment.Only the French points.
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country boy
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Re: border control delays...

Postby country boy » Mon Apr 30, 2012 5:14 pm

masterob wrote: Would you prefer it if all and sundry were let in with minimal checks? Of course, you could recruit more Inspecting Officers then someone would be complaining about the high number of public sector employees. Damned if you do, damned if you don't!
:thumbup:

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Re: border control delays...

Postby frank » Mon Apr 30, 2012 5:19 pm

gus-lopez wrote:
Finishes today . It was due to some meeting in Barcelona that escapes my memory at the moment.Only the French points.
Yes, I read the article, as I said it was temporary, a week, but that´s not to say it won´t happen again. :lol:
The meeting was of the Banco Central Europeo.
Regards, Frank

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Re: border control delays...

Postby Devils Advocate » Mon Apr 30, 2012 6:39 pm

Security is the big joke for me. Last time out a swarm of burkah wearers and robe clad foreigners sailed through..............me???, x/ray of the town halls,training shoes off, patted down, I only had a T shirt and jeans on, so Christ knows what they thought I had on me........a farce. Although I did make my feelings known :D
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Enrique
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Re: border control delays...

Postby Enrique » Mon Apr 30, 2012 6:45 pm

Hi DA,
It's the accent that's the problem.............they were probably looking for any fittings you may have lifted............ :lol:
All my best learning experiences start with a problem I need to solve.

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Re: border control delays...

Postby Devils Advocate » Mon Apr 30, 2012 6:47 pm

:mrgreen:
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Free at Last
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Re: border control delays...

Postby Free at Last » Mon Apr 30, 2012 8:32 pm

katy wrote: Contract it out for the Olympics, they may need training but it's not exactly specialist level is it.
Contract it out to whom? Group 4 Security perhaps? Not exactly got a great track record, have they, with prisoners escaping right, left and centre. And the recent scandal of the woman who has made a fortune out of providing 'getting people back to work' services to the Government instead of it being done by Job Centre staff - had to resign because she'd been caught fiddling the books.

Some people cling tenaciously to the "private sector good, public sector bad" mantra in spite of any evidence that emerges to the contrary. I recently read an interview in SUR in English with the Alcalde of Alhaurin de la Torre, one of the few (possibly the only) Ayuntamiento which has no budget deficit and pays all its suppliers on time. He is a PP Alcalde but will have no truck with contracting out council services and maintains that the local authority can deliver services better and cheaper. The first reason he gave was that if services are contracted out to private companies, the Ayuntamiento straight away has to pay IVA to them on top of the cost of the service - same applies in the UK when VAT would be charged to local or central government on top of the cost of services.

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Re: border control delays...

Postby katy » Mon Apr 30, 2012 9:51 pm

see my words get quoted when others have said the same. Was going to mention high cost of public sector pensions and other perks but then realised I actually don't give a to =ss about it :yawn:

masterob
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Re: border control delays...

Postby masterob » Mon Apr 30, 2012 11:10 pm

Public sector perks. Really. Tell me more as, after 42 years in that sector I think I must have missed out on something! :shock:

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Re: border control delays...

Postby ashtondav » Tue May 01, 2012 7:29 am

Public sector perks
There is only one really: the index linked pension. A £12K a year index linked pension would involve the average worker saving about £400,000 in his pension pot. Quite a challenge for the average worker.

Anyway, less of the bickering about that. Those who feel that way can always buy the Daily Mail to sate themselves with suitable "news stories".

Get those fingers tapping on the keyboards and email that home office address and give 'em welly!

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Re: border control delays...

Postby Devils Advocate » Tue May 01, 2012 9:40 am

masterob wrote:Public sector perks. Really. Tell me more as, after 42 years in that sector I think I must have missed out on something! :shock:

With respect then Rob, with 42 years in that sector you've very little to compare it to.
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Re: border control delays...

Postby Free at Last » Tue May 01, 2012 10:42 am

katy wrote:see my words get quoted when others have said the same. Was going to mention high cost of public sector pensions and other perks but then realised I actually don't give a to =ss about it :yawn:
I have read through each and every post in this thread again, and have not found anyone other than yourself suggesting either that UKBA recruit casual staff or that Border Control duties be contracted out for the duration of the Olympics. Have you found anything I missed?

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peteroldracer
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Re: border control delays...

Postby peteroldracer » Tue May 01, 2012 10:43 am

If only all countries could be on the same hymn sheet, all passengers could be checked as they board aircraft and the information passed to the destination country so that they can be checked whilst in the air. It would only mean a slightly more thorough check-in procedure than at present, and would contribute to in-flight safety.
Seems so obvious to me - maybe I am missing something?
Any country not meeting agreed standards could simply have all passengers departing from there being refused landing.
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Campo Steve
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Re: border control delays...

Postby Campo Steve » Tue May 01, 2012 11:05 am

I remember 20 or so years ago, USA immigration experimented with an immigration desk in the satellite terminal at Gatwick. All passengers on flights to USA cleared immigration before departure so the only queue upon arrival in USA was for your baggage. It worked. I don't think it lasted very long, presumably because the costs of bringing US immigration staff over to operate the system must have been astronomical.
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Re: border control delays...

Postby katy » Tue May 01, 2012 11:25 am

Free at Last wrote:
katy wrote:see my words get quoted when others have said the same. Was going to mention high cost of public sector pensions and other perks but then realised I actually don't give a to =ss about it :yawn:
I have read through each and every post in this thread again, and have not found anyone other than yourself suggesting either that UKBA recruit casual staff or that Border Control duties be contracted out for the duration of the Olympics. Have you found anything I missed?
No you are correct :) Contracting would enable flexible working and ability to hire and fire. The CS unions are bolshi right now, for all we know they could be on a go slow.

Just wondering....how many of you posters actually use Heathrow :?:

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Re: border control delays...

Postby frank » Tue May 01, 2012 11:40 am

katy wrote:
Just wondering....how many of you posters actually use Heathrow :?:
Very few, I suspect, and if they do, how many times a year do they fly into it. Total waiting time, at the most, couple of hours a year. As I said, better than no flights at all.
Regards, Frank

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