66-578: Border Force ( BF ) is a British law enforcement command within the Home Office , responsible for frontline border control operations at air, sea and rail ports in the United Kingdom . The force was part of the now defunct UK Border Agency from its establishment in 2008 until Home Secretary Theresa May demerged it in March 2012 after severe criticism of the senior management. Border Force
132-513: A further compensation scheme for those affected, and a wider debate on the Home Office hostile environment policy . Aderonke Apata , a Nigerian LGBT activist , made two asylum claims that were both rejected by the Home Office in 2014 and on 1 April 2015 respectively, due to her previously having been in a relationship with a man and having children with that man. In 2014, Apata said that she would send an explicit video of herself to
198-570: A port if the Border Officer thinks they would be liable to arrest by a police constable . The power allows detention for three hours pending the arrival of a police constable. The power also applies to points of entry in Belgium and France where Border Officers work, whereby the Border Officer will turn the detained person over to Belgian or French police officers as appropriate. In July 2024, Home Secretary Yvette Cooper announced
264-638: A separate Home Office Command. "Designated Immigration Officers" are Border Force immigration officers who have been designated with additional detention powers, under Sections 1 to 4 of the UK Borders Act 2007, where a person at a port or airport is suspected of being liable to arrest by a police officer for non-border offences. Border Force officers designated as customs officials under the Borders, Citizenship and Immigration Act 2009 have wide-ranging powers of entry, search, seizure and arrest. They hold
330-465: A single "border police force" had been proposed. In 2005, HMCE and Inland Revenue merged to form HMRC, however HMRC was still responsible for customs control at the border until 2009. Throughout 2006 and 2007 there were suggestions for a merged border control department. Initially this plan was to turn the Immigration and Nationality Directorate into a uniformed body of Immigration officers at
396-579: A stab vest, or equipment vest. BF also has a dog unit and dog handlers. Immigration control within the United Kingdom is managed within a wider Common Travel Area (CTA). The CTA is an intergovernmental agreement that allows freedom of movement within an area that encompasses the UK, Isle of Man, Channel Islands (Guernsey, Jersey, Sark and Alderney) and the Republic of Ireland. Authorised entry to any of
462-496: A uniform with rank insignia. Enforcement immigration officers wear body armour and carry handcuffs and ASP batons . Customs officers had wide-ranging powers of entry, search and detention. The main power was to detain anyone who had committed, or who the officer had reasonable grounds to suspect had committed, any offence under the Customs and Excise Acts. The UK Border Agency occasionally removed foreign national criminals at
528-412: Is a case in which the prosecution should not be allowed to benefit from the serious misbehaviour of the officer in the case or the disclosure officer". The Reverend Ntege and six other defendants were formally acquitted of all 17 charges, which related to marriages of convenience in order to bypass immigration laws. Channel 4 News later reported that three immigration officers had been suspended and that
594-607: Is controlled by juxtaposed immigration controls . Travellers clear UK passport control in France, Belgium or the Netherlands, while those travelling from the UK to France, Belgium or the Netherlands clear entry border checks to the Schengen Area while in the UK. Belgium and the Netherlands do not maintain controls in the UK as the first Schengen country entered is France. UK Border Force checkpoints in France are operated at
660-500: The Government Offices Great George Street instead, serving as stand-in to match the distinctly less modern appearance of the fictitious accommodation interiors the series uses. To meet the UK's five-year science and technology strategy, the Home Office sponsors research in police sciences , including: UK Border Agency The UK Border Agency ( UKBA ) was the border control agency of
726-582: The Government of the United Kingdom and part of the Home Office that was superseded by UK Visas and Immigration , Border Force and Immigration Enforcement in April 2013. It was formed as an executive agency on 1 April 2008 by a merger of the Border and Immigration Agency (BIA), UKvisas and the detection functions of HM Revenue and Customs . The decision to create a single border control organisation
SECTION 10
#1732773316549792-655: The Home Department , is a ministerial department of the Government of the United Kingdom . It is responsible for immigration , security , and law and order . As such, it is responsible for policing in England and Wales, fire and rescue services in England, Border Force , visas and immigration , and the Security Service (MI5) . It is also in charge of government policy on security-related issues such as drugs , counterterrorism , and immigration . It
858-671: The Immigration Act 1971 , when both at ports and inland. In practice, border force officers exercised powers under Schedule 2 of the Immigration Act 1971 and inland immigration officers under S28A-H of the Immigration Act 1971 and paragraph 17 of Schedule 2. This led to separate training for border and inland officers. This act is applicable in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. "Designated Immigration Officers" are port immigration officers who have been trained in detention under PACE. UK Border Agency immigration officers wear
924-572: The Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) would be conducting an investigation. The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said that it accepted that the handling of the case had fallen below acceptable standards and that it would conduct a full review. Despite the collapse of the 2014 criminal case, in 2019 a Church of England disciplinary panel removed Ntege from his office and from the priesthood over complaints concerning marriages, their administration, and
990-553: The Parliamentary Ombudsman for consistently poor service, a backlog of hundreds of thousands of cases, and a large and increasing number of complaints. In the first nine months of 2009–10, 97% of investigations reported by the Ombudsman resulted in a complaint against the agency being upheld. The complainants were asylum, residence, or other immigration applicants. In April 2012, the border control division of
1056-623: The Permanent Under-Secretary of State of the Home Office . The expenditure, administration, and policy of the Home Office are scrutinised by the Home Affairs Select Committee . The Home Office is headed by the Home Secretary , a Cabinet minister, supported by the department's senior civil servant, the permanent secretary . The Home Office comprises eleven directorates that help fulfil
1122-687: The Port of Calais , the Port of Dunkirk , the Eurotunnel Calais Terminal , Calais-Fréthun station (suspended in 2020), Lille Europe station and Paris Gare du Nord station. For passengers arriving by the Eurostar train from Marne-la-Vallée Chessy station, UK border control takes place at the arrival stations in the UK whereas French border controls take place at Marne-la-Vallée Chessy . A checkpoint operated at Boulogne-sur-Mer until
1188-543: The BF are known as "Border Force officers" and are civil servants , part of HM's Civil Service . Staff hold a mixture of powers granted to them by their status as immigration officers and designated customs officials. Immigration officers have powers of arrest and detention conferred on them by the Immigration Act 1971 and subsequent Immigration Acts, when both at ports and inland. In practice, non-arrest trained Border Force immigration officers exercise powers under Schedule 2 of
1254-626: The CTA. Despite the CTA it is still possible to be deported from the UK to the Republic of Ireland and vice versa. Entry to the UK via the Channel Tunnel from France or Belgium or by ferry through selected ports in north-east France is controlled by juxtaposed immigration controls in Britain, France, and Belgium , i.e. travellers clear UK passport control in France or Belgium and those travelling to France or Belgium clear French controls while in
1320-584: The Home Office had its offices in what is now the Foreign and Commonwealth Office Main Building on King Charles Street, off Whitehall . From 1978 to 2004, the Home Office was then located at 50 Queen Anne's Gate , a Brutalist office block in Westminster designed by Sir Basil Spence , close to St James's Park tube station . Many functions, however, were devolved to offices in other parts of London, and
1386-411: The Home Office to prove her sexuality. This resulted in her asylum bid gaining widespread support, with multiple petitions created in response, which gained hundreds of thousands of signatures combined. On 8 August 2017, after a thirteen-year legal battle and after a new appeal from Apata was scheduled for late July, she was granted refugee status in the United Kingdom by the Home Office. Until 1978,
SECTION 20
#17327733165491452-589: The Home Office's strategy, immigration and international group, sought to investigate wider issues relating to the performance of UKBA regarding racism. It was then announced on 5 November by Theresa May that an independent inquiry would also be undertaken, led by the Chief Inspector of the UK Border Agency , John Vine. His report was published on 20 February 2012. The Border Force became a separate organisation on 1 March 2012. In October 2014,
1518-567: The Home Office. The initial responsibilities were: Responsibilities were subsequently changed over the years that followed: The Home Office retains a variety of functions that have not found a home elsewhere and sit oddly with the main law-and-order focus of the department, such as regulation of British Summer Time . On 18 July 2012, the Public and Commercial Services Union announced that thousands of Home Office employees would go on strike over jobs, pay and other issues. The union called off
1584-454: The Immigration Act 1971, while inland immigration officers work under S28A-H of the Immigration Act 1971 and paragraph 17 of Schedule 2 of the same Act, as do arrest-trained Border Force immigration officers at the frontier. Historically, port and inland immigration officers received different training to reflect these different approaches to immigration enforcement, which is now reinforced by inland officers working for Immigration Enforcement ,
1650-461: The UK's borders, although management of the new organisation was integrated and progressively officers were cross trained and empowered to deal with customs and immigration matters at the border. The Borders, Citizenship and Immigration Act 2009 received Royal Assent on 21 July 2009. This allowed the concurrent exercise of customs powers by HMRC Commissioners and the Director of Border Revenue; it
1716-417: The UK. Belgium does not maintain controls in the UK as the first Schengen country entered is France. UK Border Agency checkpoints in France were operated at Gare de Calais-Fréthun , Gare de Lille Europe , Gare de Marne-la-Vallée–Chessy , Gare d'Avignon-Centre , Channel Tunnel, Calais ferry terminal, Dunkirk ferry terminal and Gare du Nord station, Paris. A checkpoint operated at Boulogne-sur-Mer until
1782-599: The UKBA was separated from the rest of the agency as the Border Force . On 26 March 2013, following a scathing report into the agency's incompetence by the Home Affairs Select Committee, it was announced by Home Secretary Theresa May that the UK Border Agency would be abolished and its work returned to the Home Office. Its executive agency status was removed as of 31 March 2013 and the agency
1848-503: The UKBA, then-Home Secretary Theresa May said that an independent inquiry would be undertaken, led by the Chief Inspector of the UK Border Agency John Vine. UK Border Force became a separate organisation on 1 March 2012. The first Director General of Border Force was the former Chief Constable of Wiltshire Police Brian Moore , who was appointed on secondment on an interim basis to last until 31 August 2012 and
1914-637: The US. All vessels of the Border Force bear the ship prefix "HMC"— His Majesty's Cutter . Between May and October 2015 two of the vessels, HMC Protector and HMC Seeker , were deployed in the Mediterranean conducting search and rescue operations. The Border Force also has a recently chartered vessel named MV VOS Grace . On 30 October 2022, the new Immigration Centre in Dover Harbour
1980-486: The United Kingdom is managed within a wider Common Travel Area (CTA). The CTA is an intergovernmental agreement that allows freedom of movement within an area that encompasses the UK, Isle of Man, Channel Islands (Guernsey, Jersey, Sark and Alderney) and the Republic of Ireland. Authorised entry to any of the above essentially allows entry to all the others but it is the responsibility of the person entering to ensure that they are properly documented for entry to other parts of
2046-426: The above essentially allows entry to all the others but it is the responsibility of the person entering to ensure that they are properly documented for entry to other parts of the CTA. Despite the CTA it is still possible to be deported from the UK to the Republic of Ireland and vice versa. Entry to the UK via the Channel Tunnel from France, Belgium or the Netherlands, or by ferry from Calais and Dunkirk in France
Border Force - Misplaced Pages Continue
2112-439: The agency had provided inaccurate reports to the Home Affairs Select Committee over a number of years. The agency was split internally on 1 April 2013, becoming a visa and immigration service and separate immigration law enforcement service. Staff held a mixture of powers granted to them by their status as immigration officers and customs officers. Immigration officers had the power of arrest and detention conferred on them by
2178-632: The agency in January 2011 to become the Permanent Secretary at the Department for Transport . Deputy Chief Executive Jonathan Sedgwick was acting chief until the new CEO, Rob Whiteman, took over on 26 September 2011. Sedgwick then became director of international operations and visas. In July 2011, the strategic policy functions of the agency moved to the Home Office. Home Secretary Theresa May announced to Parliament on 26 March 2013 that
2244-412: The agency would be abolished due to continuing poor performance, and replaced by two new smaller organisations which would focus on the visa system and immigration law enforcement respectively. The UKBA's performance was described as "not good enough", partly blamed on the size of the organisation. A report by MPs also criticised the agency, and described it as "not fit for purpose". It was also claimed that
2310-1054: The border 24 hours a day, 365 days a year at the UK’s ports, airports, postal depots and rail. This includes the Eurostar from Brussels and Paris to St Pancras International and the Eurotunnel from Coquelles to Folkestone . There are approximately 10,000 people who work in Border Force, according to the UK Government website. The regions' work includes stopping 100 percent of passengers arriving at ports or airports for immigration controls. Officers also conduct risk-led interceptions for controlled drugs, cash, tobacco, alcohol, firearms, offensive weapons, prohibited goods, counterfeit goods and clandestine entrants. They do this at passenger and freight controls, covering passengers travelling on foot, by car, coaches, freight vehicles, as well as air freight and sea containers. Members of
2376-535: The border, the Border and Immigration Agency . The BIA was created on 1 April 2007. It was short lived and was replaced only a year later on 1 April 2008 by the UK Border Agency (UKBA). The UK Border Agency was a merger of the BIA, UKvisas and the port customs functions of HM Revenue and Customs. It created one of the largest law enforcement bodies in the UK. On 5 November 2011, following various failings of
2442-580: The borders" at certain times in ways ministers would "not have agreed with". The BBC reported that staff may have been told not to scan biometric passports at certain times, which contain a digital image of the holder's face, which can be used to compare with the printed version and check the passport has not been forged. It is also believed that "warning index checks" at Heathrow and Calais were also suspended, which would have applied strict security checks against official watchlists of terrorists, criminals, and deported illegal immigrants. After Clark refused
2508-518: The correct taxes and duties. Uniformed Border Force officers have their rank displayed on shoulder epaulettes, attached to their shirt, jumper or jacket. Warranted officers below Senior Officer rank may also have their identification number displayed. All BF officers wear a dark blue uniform (without headgear) and have certain equipment to help them do their jobs. BF officers always wear their rank and personal number on an epaulette (see above). Officers carry batons, handcuffs, radios and may wear
2574-638: The country, notably the headquarters of the Immigration and Nationality Directorate in Croydon. In 2005, the Home Office moved to a new main office designed by Sir Terry Farrell at 2 Marsham Street , Westminster, on the site of the demolished Marsham Towers building of the Department of the Environment . For external shots of its fictional Home Office, the TV series Spooks uses an aerial shot of
2640-546: The country. The agency's E-Borders programme checked travellers to and from the UK in advance of travel, using data provided by passengers via their airline or ferry operators. The organisation used automatic clearance gates at main international airports. The agency managed the UK Government's limit on non-European economic migration to the UK. It was responsible for in-country enforcement operations, investigating organised immigration crime and to detecting immigration offenders including illegal entrants and overstayers. The body
2706-691: The creation of the Border Security Command, an appendant supervisory body of the Border Force that will be tasked with tackling organised immigration crime. The new unit will report to the Home Secretary directly and will direct the National Crime Agency , intelligence agencies, and police on how to break up smuggling gangs. Prior to 2007 three agencies were responsible for border control in the UK: As early as 2003,
Border Force - Misplaced Pages Continue
2772-837: The department's responsibilities. As of April 2024, the Home Office works with the following agencies and public bodies: In the financial year 2022-2023, the Home Office had a total budget of £20.3 billion. The Home Office ministers are as follows, with cabinet ministers in bold. King Charles III [REDACTED] William, Prince of Wales [REDACTED] Charles III ( King-in-Council ) [REDACTED] Starmer ministry ( L ) Keir Starmer ( L ) Angela Rayner ( L ) ( King-in-Parliament ) [REDACTED] Charles III [REDACTED] [REDACTED] [REDACTED] The Lord Reed The Lord Hodge Andrew Bailey Monetary Policy Committee The Department outlined its aims for this Parliament in its Business Plan, which
2838-554: The end of their prison terms. Over 5000 foreign national prisoners were deported each year. The agency also removed failed asylum seekers and others illegally in the UK. A 2009 report by the National Audit Office cited lack of detention space to support the asylum process. The agency had over 3000 detention spaces in removal centres run by private contractors or the Prison Service . Immigration control within
2904-486: The offer to take early retirement, he was suspended and the investigation began. A two-week inquiry led by former Metropolitan Police detective Dave Wood, currently head of the agency's enforcement and crime group, sought to discover to what extent checks were scaled down, and what the security implications might have been. A second investigation, led by former MI6 official Mike Anderson, the Director General of
2970-584: The port closed in August 2010. UK Border Force Checkpoints in Belgium operate at Brussels-South railway station . UK Border Force checkpoints in the Netherlands operate from Amsterdam Centraal and Rotterdam Centraal stations. These began operating on 26 October 2020. United States border preclearance is an equivalent system operated by that country's equivalent to the UKBF at some airports outside
3036-554: The port closed in August 2010. United States border preclearance is an equivalent system operated by that country's equivalent to the UKBA at some airports outside the US. There have also been difficulties with the management of student visas under Tier 4 of the Points-Based System. The assessment of the Independent Chief Inspector , carried out between July and August 2010, found that there
3102-518: The powers of both customs officers and immigration officers. Their duties also include counter-terrorism, part of which is to detect and deter the illicit importation of radioactive and nuclear material by terrorists or criminals. Aside from powers listed below in relation to immigration and customs, section 2 of the Borders Act 2007 also allows designated officers of the Border Force to detain anyone for any criminal offence or arrest warrant at
3168-451: The regions of the United Kingdom, liaising with the police, HMRC, local authorities and the public. In August 2009 HM Revenue and Customs transferred several thousand customs detection officers to the agency, following Parliament agreeing to give it customs control powers. The agency then began to investigate smuggling. The agency was developing a single primary border control line at the UK border combining controls of people and goods entering
3234-479: The same customs and excise powers as officers of HM Revenue and Customs , but cannot use HMRC powers for non-border matters, such as Income Tax and VAT. Amongst their powers is the ability to arrest anyone who has committed, or whom the officer has reasonable grounds to suspect has committed, any offence under the Customs and Excise Acts. They may also seize prohibited and restricted goods, such as controlled drugs and firearms, as well as ensuring that imported goods bear
3300-494: The strike; it claimed the department had, consequent to the threat of actions, announced 1,100 new border jobs. The first allegations about the targeting of pre-1973 Caribbean migrants started in 2013. In 2018, the allegations were put to the Home Secretary in the House of Commons , and resulted in the resignation of the then Home Secretary. The Windrush scandal resulted in some British citizens being wrongly deported, along with
3366-699: The trial of the Reverend Nathan Ntege – accused of conducting almost 500 sham marriages at a church in Thornton Heath, South London between 2007 and 2011 – collapsed after it became apparent that evidence had been tampered with, concealed, or even possibly destroyed. As immigration officers were questioned in the witness box of the Inner London Crown Court it became clear that not only had video footage gone missing but that an investigation log had been tampered with. The trial
SECTION 50
#17327733165493432-666: Was a list of lost applicants. Following allegations that staff were told to relax some identity checks, in November 2011 the UK Home Office suspended: Brodie Clark , the Head of the Border Force ; Carole Upshall, director of the Border Force South and European Operation; Graham Kyle, director of operations at Heathrow Airport. The Home Office is presently investigating allegations that Clark had agreed to "open up
3498-493: Was also responsible for the deportation of foreign national criminals at the end of sentences. The UK Border Agency's budget combined with that of the Border Force was £2.17 billion in 2011–12. Under the spending review the agency was required to cut costs by up to 23%. At its peak the agency employed around 25,000 staff, but 5,000 posts were due to be cut by 2015 against the 2011-12 levels. Founding Chief Executive Lin Homer left
3564-420: Was an inconsistent response towards applications, with some cases given extra time to prepare and others dismissed for minor reasons. In November 2011, the Home Affairs Select Committee issued a report that found that 124,000 deportation cases had been shelved by the UKBA. The report said the cases had been dumped in a "controlled archive", a term used to try to hide the fact from authorities and auditors that it
3630-475: Was appointed as the new Director General. Neither of the two had any previous experience of immigration or customs. The stated responsibilities of the Home Office 's Border Force are the following: Border Force is responsible for immigration and customs at 140 rail, air and sea ports in the UK and western Europe, as well as thousands of smaller airstrips, ports and marinas. Border Force has six operational regions: The regions have responsibility for securing
3696-671: Was attacked with firebombs thrown from a car. Two members of staff were injured. A suspect was found dead in a vehicle. Responsibility for investigation was passed to the Counter Terrorism Policing South East. Leak's online activities had included far-right content and conspiracy theories. On 5 November 2022, the police stated that the attack "was motivated by a terrorist ideology". Home Office The Home Office ( HO ), also known (especially in official papers and when referred to in Parliament) as
3762-403: Was expected to apply for the position permanently, despite criticism of his management of passport queues. On 10 July 2012, Immigration Minister Damian Green confirmed that Moore had not applied for the post, despite Moore earlier telling the Home Affairs Select Committee that he would be applying. Tony Smith was appointed as interim Director General of Border Force on 19 September 2012. Smith
3828-445: Was formed on 1 March 2012, becoming accountable directly to ministers. It is responsible for immigration and customs controls and the screening of passengers, freight and port staff at 140 rail, air and sea ports in the UK and western Europe, as well as thousands of smaller airstrips, ports and marinas. The work of the Border Force is monitored by the Independent Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration . Border Force officers can hold
3894-609: Was formerly responsible for His Majesty's Prison Service and the National Probation Service , but these have been transferred to the Ministry of Justice . The Cabinet minister responsible for the department is the Home Secretary , a post considered one of the Great Offices of State ; it has been held by Yvette Cooper since July 2024. The Home Office is managed from day to day by a civil servant ,
3960-441: Was halted by Judge Nic Madge, who said in court: "I am satisfied that officers at the heart of this prosecution have deliberately concealed important evidence and lied on oath. The bad faith and misconduct started in 2011, when two of the principal defendants were arrested, and has continued throughout the course of this trial. In my judgment, it has tainted the whole case. It has tainted the prosecution against all seven defendants. It
4026-578: Was previously Gold Commander for the London 2012 Olympic Programme and Regional Director for London and the South East in the UK Border Agency and has spent forty years in border control and enforcement work. Vice-Admiral Sir Charles Montgomery was named as the new Director General on 25 January 2013. In June 2017 Montgomery left Border Force and Paul Lincoln (a civil servant from the MOD and Home office)
SECTION 60
#17327733165494092-542: Was published in May 2011, and superseded its Structural Reform Plan. The plan said the department will: The Home Office publishes progress against the plan on the 10 Downing Street website. On 27 March 1782 ; 242 years ago ( 1782-03-27 ) , the Home Office was formed by renaming the existing Southern Department , with all existing staff transferring. On the same day, the Northern Department
4158-740: Was renamed the Foreign Office . To match the new names, there was a transferring of responsibilities between the two Departments of State. All domestic responsibilities (including colonies, previously administered under the Board of Trade ) were moved to the Home Office, and all foreign matters (including the administration of British protectorates ) became the concern of the Foreign Office. Most subsequently created domestic departments (excluding, for instance, those dealing with education) have been formed by splitting responsibilities away from
4224-430: Was split into three new organisations; UK Visas and Immigration focusing on the visa system, Immigration Enforcement focusing on immigration law enforcement and Border Force , providing immigration and customs law enforcement at ports of entry in the UK. The agency attained full agency status on 1 April 2009. Immigration Officers and Customs Officers retained their own powers for the enforcement and administration of
4290-460: Was taken following a Cabinet Office report. The agency's head office was 2 Marsham Street, London. Rob Whiteman became Chief Executive in September 2011. Over 23,000 staff worked for the agency, in over 130 countries. It was divided into four main operations, each under the management of a senior director: operations, immigration and settlement, international operations and visas and law enforcement. The agency came under formal criticism from
4356-409: Was the first step in overhauling immigration and customs legislation. The UK Border Agency had a staff of 23,500 people located in over 130 countries. Overseas staff vetted visa applications and operated an intelligence and liaison network, acting as the first layer of border control for the UK. The organisation operated as the single force at the border for the UK. Local immigration teams worked within
#548451