United Kingdom: Government Announces Creation of New Independent Border Control Agency
The UK Border Force will be responsible for border control and inspections services at ports of entry beginning in March 2012. The UK Border Agency will retain responsibility for the administration of immigration benefits.
In early March 2012, the UK will create the UK Border Force, a new agency that will assume responsibility for border controls and inspections services at UK ports of entry. The new agency will operate independently of the UK Border Agency (UKBA) and its operations will be subject to separate governmental oversight. The UKBA will retain responsibility for the administration of immigration benefits.
The UK Border Force is expected to have a distinct enforcement mind-set compared to the UKBA, which could lead to increased scrutiny of foreign nationals arriving in the UK. However, the full impact of the new agency on business travelers, foreign workers and employers is unclear at this time. Fragomen will provide updates as the government releases additional information about the UK Border Force.
The UK Border Force is being created after a widely-publicized investigation and report from the UKBA Independent Chief Inspector revealed security checks were performed inconsistently or not at all at ports of entry.
This alert is for informational purposes only. If you have any questions, please contact the global immigration professional with whom you work at Fragomen or send an email to ukcaseinitiate@fragomen.com.
Source: Fragomen
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