Border Agency puts faith in e-borders

Tuesday, February 23, 2010

The UK Border Agency's (UKBA) new crime strategy has positioned the e-borders programme as a key part of its effort to protect the UK's borders.

In a five year strategy for tackling border and immigration crime, the agency said it will be "continuously investing" in the development of the e-borders system. It has also set a target of March 2014 for when 100 per cent of all passenger and crew movements into and out of the UK are screened.

The e-borders programme will screen every person intending to travel to and from the UK to identify any potential risks.

More immediately, the UKBA will be launching its National Border Targeting Centre in 2010.

"[The centre] will act as our central hub for the analysis of information on passengers and goods, including data captured through our e-borders system," the strategy said.

An increase in data sharing has also been promised in the report. Data from the e-borders programme will be shared with partner agencies in the UK to strengthen the ability to detect criminals.

Data will also be checked against the European Schengen Information System – a Europe-wide database used by 27 countries to maintain and distribute data on people of interest – to ensure all arriving passengers are not wanted criminals.

Immigration minister Phil Woolas said: "The agency is the UK's first line of defence against criminals, smugglers and illegal immigrants. Protecting the public lies at the heart of what we do. Combating border and immigration crime, such as drugs smuggling and large-scale facilitation of illegal entry, is a core part of that role.

"We can be proud of our achievements, but in this new strategy we are positioning ourselves to tackle these crimes more coherently and effectively."

He added: "It is only through collaboration that we can deploy the necessary variety of approaches to intervene and reduce the harm caused by organised crime."