The work of immigration and customs has been brought together in a 'Primary Checkpoint' to strengthen border controls across the region. This means that passengers arriving at Harwich have both customs and immigration checks carried out in the same place.
Customs and immigration officers have now been combined into a 130-strong team for the newly-formed UK Border Agency. Since the beginning of the year officers protecting the port have stopped more than 70 illegal immigrants gaining entry to the UK and seized huge volumes of drugs with a street value of £15 million.
Visiting Harwich today, The Head of the Border Force, Brodie Clark said:
"I came to Harwich International Port to find out how customs and immigration officers have come together in a single workforce. The new Primary Checkpoint will speed up the entry of genuine passengers, but make it even harder for illegal immigrants and goods to be smuggled into the UK.
"Our single Border Force, with new police-like powers, is the public face of the biggest shake-up of Britain's border security for 45 years.
"Staff at Harwich are the frontline for identifying threats to our border security. Criminals don't care how they make money. They smuggle people and illegal goods that put all of us in danger. That's why we need a single Border Force to stop them."
Border Force officers now have powers enabling them to:
- share intelligence to target illegal immigrants, drug smugglers and revenue cheats;
- prosecute traffickers and people smugglers who make money out of human misery;
- search vehicles for smuggled people and goods; and
- detain and search people, vehicles and goods.
Harwich International Port was chosen as one of five pilot 'Flagship Ports' for the Primary Checkpoint, which started operating on 9 June 2008. Other pilot ports are Edinburgh, Coquelles, Gatwick and Teesport.
