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Will Brexit mean longer queues at passport control?

Will Brexit mean longer queues at passport control?

If the Government wants to show that post-Brexit Britain is open for business then it must do more to cut waiting times at its borders.

That’s according to the Airport Operators Association (AOA), which said a perfect storm of budget cuts, rising passenger numbers and more stringent checks for EU nationals following Brexit are likely to result in longer queues at passport control.

How could Brexit affect passport queues?

EEA nationals travelling to the UK currently benefit from softer border controls than non-EEA nationals, meaning their journey through immigration is much swifter.

However, if, after Brexit, EEA nationals face the same scrutiny as non-EAA nationals, this could lead to an increase in waiting times at border control.

With that in mind the AOA is keen for the Government to keep the current system in place for EEA nationals, though the Home Office would not comment on what border controls could look like after Britain leaves the EU.

“We are about to begin negotiations with the EU and it would be wrong to set out further positions in advance,” said a Home Office spokesperson. “We are clear that Border Force has the capacity to meet passenger demand and maintain security.”

What about budget cuts, how are they affecting queues?

According to the AOA, queues at Britain’s borders have increased since the Home Office cut Border Force’s budget.

“Border Force is struggling to cope with passenger inflow at the moment,” said Henk van Klaveren, public affairs manager for the AOA.

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“Since 2012 its budget has been cut by 10 per cent while passenger numbers have risen by 15 per cent – the queues in general are longer than they have been.”

However, the Home Office claims Border Force can meet the demand and maintain security.

“Our Border Force officers currently clear passengers within our agreed waiting times in more than 95 per cent of cases and will continue to carry out stringent checks on 100 per cent of scheduled passengers arriving in the UK,” said a spokesperson for the Home Office.

The Home Office’s agreed waiting times are 25 minutes for passengers from EEA (European Economic Area) countries and 45 minutes for passengers from non-EEA countries.

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Aren’t those waiting times a tad generous?

The AOA certainly thinks so.

“A 10-15 minute wait is a long time, let alone 25 or 45 minutes,” said van Klaveren. “For people who are thinking of investing in UK this is the welcome we are providing at the border – we’re not saying Britain is open for business.”

Telegraph Travel is waiting for a response from the Home Office regarding AOA claims that waiting times are too long.

Do e-gates help?

Yes, but their ability to deal with passengers is limited: e-gates can currently only be used by citizens from within the EEA aged 18 or over. Consequently, the question of what happens after Brexit also lingers over e-gates.  

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What are the UK’s busiest airports?

Unsurprisingly, Heathrow is our busiest airport, followed by Gatwick and Manchester airports. Below are the top 10 busiest airports in the UK, based on passenger numbers in 2015, according to the AOA.

  1. Heathrow

  2. Gatwick

  3. Manchester

  4. Stansted

  5. Luton

  6. Edinburgh

  7. Birmingham

  8. Glasgow

  9. Bristol

  10. Newcastle

How can I avoid the queues?

A smooth passage through passport control is never guaranteed; delayed arrivals, a shortage of staff and malfunctioning e-gates can all create bottlenecks.

“The extremely long queues that get the media coverage are often outside peak times,” said van Klaveren.

Nevertheless, avoiding the morning and evening peaks will generally make the whole airport experience more bearable. And jumping on a flight at your local airport will probably be less crowded than it would if you went to, say, Heathrow.

“Small regional airports tend to have more convenient (and cheaper) parking, shorter check-in times and fewer queues,” writes Nick Trend, Telegraph Travel’s consumer expert. “And you don't have to walk for miles to get from security to the departure gate.”