UK Border Force failing to meet Heathrow passport check targets
Passengers waiting 2.5 hours to clear immigration, data reveals
Airlines and Heathrow airport management have criticised the UK Border Force for failing to process passengers within target times as it was revealed that some people have waited two-and-a-half hours to clear immigration.
There was only one day in July when the UK Border Force achieved its target of processing 95% of passengers from Britain and outside the European Economic Area (EEA) within 45 minutes, according to data obtained by Virgin Atlantic.
"This summer significant queues at Border Control mean that thousands of visitors have regularly faced the longest queues in London to get their passports checked, often over two hours, leaving them frustrated before they've even started their trip,” said Virgin Atlantic chief executive Craig Kreeger.
He added that “only the Border Force can resolve these unacceptable queue times and they must take action”.
"We all agree that security and safety at our airports is vital and remains our top priority, but other countries are managing their borders more effectively.”
"At a time when the UK needs to show the world it is open for business, the government and Border Force need to provide a great first impression for every visitor every time."
Heathrow chief executive John Holland-Kaye called on the government to allow visitors from low-risk countries such as the US and Canada to use the same electronic border gates that EU citizens can access.
British Airways chief executive Alex Cruz warned last week that Heathrow's queues were "significantly worse" than elsewhere in the continent.
"Two-hour queues are fast becoming the norm," he said last week in a letter to the Times.
"Two-hour queues are fast becoming the norm for those visiting from outside the European Economic Area (EEA), despite a target of no more than a 45-minute wait. Even EEA citizens wait almost an hour," Cruz added.
"This is unacceptable, yet Nick Jariwalla, the head of Border Force at Heathrow, said recently that things were unlikely to change and it was unreasonable for his team to be expected to meet their targets."
Cruz said last year Heathrow missed its target for non-EEA arrivals 8,298 times and had already missed its target more than 6,000 times this year.
"What kind of message does this send, as we try to build links outside the EU? We need more than UK-only lanes to show Britain is open for business, and that includes (Home Secretary) Sajid Javid taking immediate action to address this border farce once and for all," Cruz said.