Heathrow T4 uk border farce/force.

[WeedKiller]

Why do border force insist on checking passports whilst passengers are departing an aircraft at the exit of the air bridge ?.
I would be more than happy with the above as long as there was not another border force (hurdle) check point to be process through.
The minus points I have noticed are passengers being held in the air bridge,passengers falling over folded push chairs left on the floor,passengers trying to find their passports holding up the queue,is it safe to hold human beings in the air bridge remember there was 160 passengers departing this aircraft of different nationalities and languages.
Maybe the three border force agents (2 looking at passports,1 supervising) would have been better deployed at the main border force exit area as the wait was over 20 minutes for eu gates and much longer for rest of the world gates.Also please can the border force have staff ready to assist on the automatic e-passport gates as they seem as problematic as self service supermarket checkouts.
Plus points.none.

[GrahamO]

So apparently its not possible for two people, going to different destinations to meet up in the departure lounge and swap passports so as to allow a miscreant to go to a destination to which they are not entitled.?

Maybe flying isn't for you if you could not work that out - never heard of illegal immigration ?

[419]

A couple of points that you seem to have overlooked GrahamO.
The checking of passports of the passengers disembarking an aircraft is in addition to the checks carried out at the passport control desks and this desk check should enable any problems to be discovered.

Another thing is that airlines are responsible for checking the passports of passengers at the departure gate so any attempted deception should also be discovered there.

[DaveReidUK]

So apparently its not possible for two people, going to different destinations to meet up in the departure lounge and swap passports so as to allow a miscreant to go to a destination to which they are not entitled.?The OP is talking about arriving passengers, so regardless of what may or may not have gone on in the departure lounge at the origin airport, it's hard to see what two successive checks on arrival is intended to achieve that one check couldn't accomplish.

Maybe flying isn't for you if you could not work that outRegardless of how much the OP has or hasn't flown, he/she appears to have a valid point.

[Gibon2]

GrahamO, maybe internet discussion forums are not for you if you can't read and understand a post before laying into the author.

OP is talking about passport checks on arrival, immediately on leaving the aircraft (generally at the top of the airbridge, depending on airport layout). They do this sometimes at Zurich, but being Swiss are organised enough to warn everyone before disembarkation begins, so pax have time to get their passports out.

The only reason I can think of is to check pax that are in transit and so won't be going through immigration. Isn't that what happened to the Brazilian partner of the Snowden leaks journalist? What became of that case anyway?

[PAXboy]

I understand it's to catch those who have swapped passports on the plane and left the old one on board. Also, those who may be hoping to pick up new papers from a 'delivery person' before their reach the main control area.

This is not done on every flight, they pick their targets based on previous experience. Yes it is a problem but if they warned the pax - they might change their story, swap back to another document etc.

Lots of people want to get to the UK - often because the only second language thay have is 'American' and that will pass in the UK which it won't in continental Europe.

ps As oldpax says, it prevents the person going 'awol' between the plane and passport control. Heathrow might be more secure than it was - but no airport can ever be truly secure - and be acceptable to commercial passengers.

[S.o.S.]

Hi WeedKiller and welcome to the forum.

Your question was perfectly valid and I ask the 'snapping crocodiles' to hold back for newcomers. We all have to learn the ropes here. If you don't have a constructive comment - don't say it.

Here's the alternative:
With prior arrangement, it is possible for two people, going to different destinations to meet up in the departure lounge and swap passports so as to allow a miscreant to go to a destination to which they are not entitled.


Simples.

[oldpax]

While I worked on an infamous US navy base somewhere in the Caribbean our company kept losing employees from the Philipines,turned out there was an organization that (for a fee)would get then into the states from a certain west coast airport.Lots of this organization had jobs airside and our employees would just disappear after landing!!

[Gibon2]

With prior arrangement, it is possible for two people, going to different destinations to meet up in the departure lounge and swap passports so as to allow a miscreant to go to a destination to which they are not entitled.

I understand it's to catch those who have swapped passports on the plane and left the old one on board.

Neither of these makes any sense as an explanation. As DaveReidUK pointed out, how would a passport check at aircraft exit discover anything different from the standard passport control at immigration? Either the pax shows up with a valid passport, or doesn't. Where and when the pax obtained said passport prior to arrival makes no difference.

Also, those who may be hoping to pick up new papers from a 'delivery person' before their reach the main control area.

The aircraft exit check would catch this, I guess, but who would do it, and why? Why not just have the passport sent to you in advance? And I'm not sure there'd be anything inherently illegal in collecting new papers on arrival - as long as the papers themselves are legitimate. If they are forgeries, or genuine docs in a false name, then they should (ha!) be detected at the standard passport control.

it prevents the person going 'awol' between the plane and passport control

This, and checking international transit pax, are the only plausible reasons mentioned so far.

[Heathrow Harry]

seen it before (even at Aberdeen domestic!) when they have a tip-off about someone on a particular flight -

easier to closely look at 180 people at the air bridge than take the chance of them getting through with the rest of the unruly mob in the main arrivals area

[PAXboy]

Gibon2 A relative of mine has worked in (now) Border Agency for 15 years. I once stepped off a flight at LHR to find them asking for my passport on the jetway - they then stopped and indicated that I speak to their colleague for the check.

ps Another thing my relative said: If they suspect a passport is forged, they can inspect the aircraft before it is cleaned. Old documents that were used for boarding, might have been wrapped in other rubbish and placed in the sacks used by Cabin Crew.

[Simplythebeast]

My understanding is that once a person has entered the country, if they claim Asylum they must be facilitated through the Asylum process. Perhaps the checks at the end of the air bridge allow Border Agency staff to turn them round and put them back on the aircraft as they've not entered the country at that point? Cunning plan Baldrick.

[Ancient Observer]

People smugglers and terrorist organisations have many bright and interesting ways of getting people in to the UK.

If the Border Agency people want to check my passport 15 times before they let me in, good for them.

Although the Eurotrain people let me in once with a paper driving license. (and I strengthened my London accent). That was before 9/11. I had to re-enter the UK. It was the day of the famous "Bould to Adams" game, so I had to be at that.

[ExXB]

It's also to dissuade people smugglers from using this airport. The smugglees are told to destroy passport, once in terminal, and claim asylum without any papers saying they are from a country to which the UK won't deport people. Without papers it's difficult to prove they are not from said country.

Of course it's better to catch them before the 'arrive' or to dissuade them from even coming.

In my experience the crew makes an announcement that this check will be done.

[Skipness One Echo]

Is it not possible to have a passport scanned and saved at Check in by the airline and saved in the system for 36 hours till passenger arrive in the UK? That way we would know who they "really" are as even if they destroy the document, we can still see it in the system. Only from high risk countries though.

[419]

Is it not possible to have a passport scanned and saved at Check in by the airline and saved in the system for 36 hours till passenger arrive in the UK?

A good idea in theory, but one problem would be transferring the data to the arrival airport if it was needed.
With the Data protection act, there are strict procedures for the storage, use and transfer of personal data and doing as you suggest would invariably lead to the costs being added to ticket prices.
Only from high risk countries though
Without a doubt, this would get shot down by many human rights groups as they would claim that it is racial profiling and it's unfair to take and store information on all travellers flying from a particular region.