Border Protection Service for the UK: Policy Proposals
From SR
Contents |
Background
On 26 February 2007 the Conservative Party declared that when elected it would create a Border Protection Service (BPS) that would unify current disparate border control mechanisms and organisations into a single effective entity. This organisation, staffed mainly from agencies currently undertaking aspects of border control, would strengthen controls designed to reduce the threat of trans-national crime, illegal immigration and terrorism from entering and affecting the UK.
Border Security Advisory Committee
At the request of the Conservative Party, Lord Stevens of Kirkwhelpington formed a Border Security Advisory Committee to report on:
- The operational mandate for a BPS and the coverage it would be expected to provide.
- The powers it should have available to it.
- The size and scope of the Service.
- Which existing agencies or elements of agencies would be amalgamated into such a Service, and what its relationship would be with the Serious Organised Crime Agency, other police forces and the intelligence and security agencies.
- The legislative, constitutional and human resource aspects to the creation of a BPS.
- How to ensure simple and effective accountability operationally and to ministers.
- How the BPS would cooperate with other EU member states and international agencies.
- What lessons from other countries’ experience with border policing services are relevant to the UK.
Conclusions
The study warns that Britain's borders are insufficiently protected and that militants can enter the country undetected. He also concluded that there is no indication that the terrorist threat level will reduce significantly for at least 20 to 30 years. He envisages a 35,000-strong Border Protection Service to combine the current authorities, dedicated to dealing with terrorism, organised crime, people trafficking, illegal immigration and fraud.
