Eurotunnel to do illegal immigrant checks on only one in five cars as rules 'unworkable'
EUROTUNNEL will only check one in five cars carrying British and EU citizens when new exit checks are introduced next month to prevent major delays.
New plans to keep tabs on who is leaving the country already seem unworkable as Eurotunnel has been forced to negotiate checking just 20 per cent of exiting cars.
Exit checks are seen as vital to combat illegal immigration and stop people entering the country on short-term visas and overstaying.
This week it was revealed how a legal loophole meant illegal immigrants were being smuggled out of the UK to avoid deportation, then claiming asylum in Italy, before being smuggled back into the UK. A loophole in the law means if they are then caught they would be sent to Italy rather than deported to their home country.
Theresa May’s checks will begin in April but Eurotunnel said it will only be able to do random checks on a minority of vehicles.
John Keefe, director of public affairs at Eurotunnel, said: “Our principal concern in this market is the likelihood of significant delays occurring on peak holiday departure days when traffic is heavy, shuttle load factors are high and cars carry five-seven people per vehicle.”
Theresa May has had five years to do one job - count people in and out of the country
All 10 million passengers travelling on the shuttle will need to provide passport information in advance, being told they will be scanned as confirmation they have left the UK. But in reality this will only happen to 20 per cent of passengers.
Checks will be carried out on 100 per cent of vehicles containing non-EEA passengers.
Eurotunnel has had to build a new hall for coach passengers who will have to disembark their vehicle, walk through passport control, and re-board, in anticipation of delays.
David Hanson, shadow immigration minister, told The Times: “Theresa May has had five years to do one job - count people in and out of the country, yet with the election weeks away she still can’t deliver the full exit checks she promised.”
The checks were due to begin at the beginning of April but have been delayed until April 8 to prevent chaos over the Easter weekend.
