UK Borders Agency

[oldgit]

Continent cut off by Fog

Remember we are in the EU and entering the UK from an EU internal flight is supposed to be no more hassle than crossing the border from Scotland!

We are not part of the Schengen Agreement !

 

[Sandyman]

Yet another grossly expensive, ineffectual and oppressive 'police force'... at a time when real police and their resources are being cut.

I am opposed to this unnecessary and unwanted paramilitary force imposed on us and will henceforth refuse to co-operate with them in any way whatsoever - even to the extent of ignoring anything they do and say, and answering no questions.

If everyone of us refused all co-operation, totally, they'd soon be redeployed or wound up. They can't arrest us all....

'We shall overcome...'

Careful with your words Lady Campanula. They will have you on a terrorist watch list talking like that.

On first reading the thread heading I assumed it was going to be about the 'e-borders' scheme which they have decided to resurrect & bring into force, despite protests from the likes of the RYA etc etc.
Now that is something we all should refuse to co-operate with. I for one will NOT be playing their silly games.

 

[electrosys]

As an enforcement agency, the marine branch of the UKBA is a joke. Just a handful of vessels trying to be as high profile as possible ... hence the yachtie boardings.

And - if you know where these vessels are (and it ain't exactly difficult to work out) - then anyone planning nefarious deeds also knows where they're not. Wakey, wakey.

If they were really trying to nick people at sea, then they'd have a couple of dozen gin-palace 'Q'-vessels, manned by blokes wearing normal gear, and they'd change their operating areas around frequently. Bit like the marine equivalent of 'The Sweeney'.

As it is, the marine UKBA is just a politically-motivated PR exercise.

 

[Tidewaiter2]

As an enforcement agency, the marine branch of the UKBA is a joke. Just a handful of vessels trying to be as high profile as possible ... hence the yachtie boardings.

And - if you know where these vessels are (and it ain't exactly difficult to work out) - then anyone planning nefarious deeds also knows where they're not. Wakey, wakey.

If they were really trying to nick people at sea, then they'd have a couple of dozen gin-palace 'Q'-vessels, manned by blokes wearing normal gear, and they'd change their operating areas around frequently. Bit like the marine equivalent of 'The Sweeney'.

As it is, the marine UKBA is just a politically-motivated PR exercise.

Which the French do very well- vide the Douniers at Granville, who stroll round the pontoons, then when the sill opens, pop out quietly off shore in their grey painted Merry Fisher bog standard launch to see who is running class A's in from the CI's today

Have you noticed how since the Cutter service was subsumed into UKBA from HMRC, the complaints from yotties and macho profile have increased?
Clearly an attempt to prove they are doing something and divert attention from our all too leaky ferry ports and airports under UKBA's new dynamic managers, rather than the proper job of intel, shadowing and pulling illegals of all types from powders to people to certain metals arriving by sea.

 

[[70521]]

Remember we are in the EU and entering the UK from an EU internal flight is supposed to be no more hassle than crossing the border from Scotland!

I always need a passport when flying home

 

[awol]

I always need a passport when flying home

.. and it seems to be the only thing (together with a boarding pass) that will let me on a hairyplane to Engerland.

 

[capnsensible]

There often seems to be some misunderstandings about the Economic Union and the Schengen Agreement.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schengen_Agreement

 

[prv]

Have you noticed how since the Cutter service was subsumed into UKBA from HMRC, the complaints from yotties and macho profile have increased?

Not sure. The one time I've been boarded by the men in black (on that tricky border crossing from Itchenor to Lymington) they were HMRC and just as paramilitary as they sound now (though polite). They mentioned unofficially that as former HM Customs officers they were highly unimpressed at having been forcibly merged with the Inland Revenue.

Hence I think the switch from HM Customs to HMRC is where the change in style took place, not from HMRC to UKBA.

Pete

 

[bigwow]

I went on board one of the UKBA toys when it was on a PR exercise for a couple of days in the Albert Dock. I asked if I could go home and get my hobnail boots on before I came aboard. Cheeky buggers just laughed and asked if I’d met them before!

 

[kyleview]

Why not just keep the 4 boats down around the SE corner of England, as that is where 90% + of the action / illegal immigrants are, and spare the rest of us their useless hassle. They have possibly never head of risk management, let alone just used a small bit of common sense - PR and useless statistics are their bread and butter - actually doing anything useful would be hard work and soul destroying.

 

[Grumpybear]

I've always thought that the thing which most outrages (and frightens) a public servant is the prospect of having to serve the public.

 

[brianhumber]

Why not just keep the 4 boats down around the SE corner of England, as that is where 90% + of the action / illegal immigrants are, and spare the rest of us their useless hassle. They have possibly never head of risk management, let alone just used a small bit of common sense - PR and useless statistics are their bread and butter - actually doing anything useful would be hard work and soul destroying.

I have noticed that

a) they seem to have bigger toys to play with than the RN these days, last summer saw three in a row in the Solent, all megga sze compared with the RNs weekend craft out at the same time.

b) you never see them out in more than a F4.

UKBA is a waste of space, if the Boy Cameroon really wants to save money effectively the pretend Navy boats should be scrapped and their staff sent to Airports to reduce those hour long queues for British passport holders.

Brian


Brian

 

[Searush]

I always need a passport when flying home

I did a day trip to Brussels (business meeting) once without a passport (about 1995). I forgot the damn thing & didn't have time to get it & get to the meeting as well. They let me out quite easily, the Belgians didn't care either way, but Manchester Immigration were a bit put out & wanted to know who let me out!

It was a bit of a hassle getting back in, but they accepted my story & driving licence as proof of ID. I doubt they'd be so forgiving today tho.

 

[Plomong]

They will have you on a terrorist watch list talking like that.

"Terrorist" and "former transporter of some things that go bang in a big way" ??? Doesn't add up, really !!!!

They'd just look up his pedigree and say 'bah, not bloody likely" and move on.

 

[l'escargot]

Has anyone asked them to produce some form of ID when they have come alongside?

 

[Tidewaiter2]

The IR weren't happy beinmg merged with C&E either!

Not sure. The one time I've been boarded by the men in black (on that tricky border crossing from Itchenor to Lymington) they were HMRC and just as paramilitary as they sound now (though polite). They mentioned unofficially that as former HM Customs officers they were highly unimpressed at having been forcibly merged with the Inland Revenue.

Hence I think the switch from HM Customs to HMRC is where the change in style took place, not from HMRC to UKBA.

Pete

Take it from me, IR thought they were the 'gentlemen' and C&E the 'thugs' not contrary wise, but I think it was always 'lions led by donkeys' for the grunts of both lots(having sailed and raced with grunts from both lots, and in mixed crews!), and the PAC ructions come as no personal surprise to this grunt who served in 100PS.
The 'shining ones' antics did not impress those of us who came up the hawse pipe, so to speak

 

[Tidewaiter2]

Dead Right!

Why not just keep the 4 boats down around the SE corner of England, as that is where 90% + of the action / illegal immigrants are, and spare the rest of us their useless hassle. They have possibly never head of risk management, let alone just used a small bit of common sense - PR and useless statistics are their bread and butter - actually doing anything useful would be hard work and soul destroying.

You got it, 100% old son!

 

[Tidewaiter2]

Not entirely true- one label does not fit all

I've always thought that the thing which most outrages (and frightens) a public servant is the prospect of having to serve the public.

Depends when they signed up- some of us spent our lives doing our best to keep the whole thing civilised and 'user friendly' to enable ordinary folk to get their problems sorted.
Hell, I was actually accused of making Trust Taxation Law amusing by a Silk!

We usually got shafted big time by the 'carheah-focussed shinies' mind

 

[Bosun Higgs]

So would people here prefer that the UKBA boats and men remained in port and sat on their hands all day until they had concrete proof of a misdemeanor? Or would you prefer that they spent their spare working time doing the only course of action available to dissuade people from smuggling etc which is the random stop and search?

Which would be the bigger waste of money?

Given the cost of running ships of that size and the liomted area they can cover with just 5, I would have thought it far more cost effective to scrap the boats and invest the money in far more agents locating them like plod in the old days at most of the landing points round the country.

Or better still, checking up on every immigrant sweatchop and restaurant on a regular basis. Stopping obvious foreign faces in the street.

5 boats is just a joke.

 

[Tidewaiter2]

Given the cost of running ships of that size and the liomted area they can cover with just 5, I would have thought it far more cost effective to scrap the boats and invest the money in far more agents locating them like plod in the old days at most of the landing points round the country.

Or better still, checking up on every immigrant sweatchop and restaurant on a regular basis. Stopping obvious foreign faces in the street.

5 boats is just a joke.

..........But that's 'real' enforcement work and will generate paperwork and prosecutions/expenditure and may show your lack of any skills except bu@@sh@£t and moonshine- keeping all your enforcement teams in an all day meeting regarding your latest brilliant 'initiative', which will look good on your cv when manouvereing for your next step is far more important- i must not get started on a rant, i'm out of it now, TFFT.