Consider this: Whenever you check in for a flight to the UK, your passport details are taken by the airline and whizzed to the UK by the marvellous world-wide interwebby thing. That means the UKBA will generally have had prior notice of your arrival for something like a minimum of two hours. Now, if I've got this right, they know who they've issued visas to, who's a national, who's entitled to be in Britain and more importantly, who's not. Special Branch can also match their list against the 'inbounds' and identify those of interest. So, all the UKBA have to do, is make sure the people who get off the flight are those who checked in. How hard can it be?
Personally I think Wallies at the top of the UKBA haven't a clue what their job is all about. Additionally, they have no understanding of how technology can help them nor of how to design a system. They are also scared fartless of someone complaining about their human rights being breached. This results in pointless waiting in queues, systems which don't speak to each other, the ridiculous Landing Cards and hundreds of "Asylum" bludgers illegally landing in Britain each week.
As it runs at the moment, the system is a waste of cash and time.
PM
PS. You can stick the L*nd*n 2*12 event (I can't mention it by name, as that would be a criminal offence) where the sun doesn't shine. Any event that requires an Act to make the infringement of sponsorship deals a criminal offence can screw itself. This fiasco will be one of the most expensive job and business destroying events we've seen in Britain. I'll be truly glad when it's all over.