Scanners, no fly lists and e border control

Tighter security at ports and airports

January 2010

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Following on from the recent attempted bombing of a flight over Detroit at Christmas, a series of new measures to fight terrorists at Britain’s airports have been announced.

Up until December, the airline Yemenia Airlines had been flying from Sanaa via Cairo to Heathrow twice weekly, the Prime Minister has decided to postpone those flights until extra security measures have been put into place. Two separate watch lists will be drawn up using the existing information on the UK Border Agency’s existing data base. Gordon Brown made the statements after looking at the Home Office review which outlines the ways in which the current security measures can be upgraded.

There will be two no-fly lists, one will have the names of people who will require a higher level of screening before they will be allowed to enter the UK and others will include the names of people who will not be allowed entry under any circumstances. From the end of January, all passengers at airports and coastal ports will be subjected to enhanced security checks including the electronic borders scheme of pre flight checks on all travellers leaving Britain.

The cost of every major port and airport taking part in the new scheme will be around £1.2billion, each passenger will be expected to answer personal questions including those to do with criminal convictions and of personal identity. Full body scanners will be bought back in to use at Heathrow airport, the airport declined to use the scanners after a four year trial in 2008.

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