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Home Office may roll out fast-track fees to cut immigration queues (14 November 2013)
Date: 14/11/2013
The Home Office has announced proposals for fast-track entry into the UK, which would enable visitors to skip immigration queues by paying a fee up front.
The government is looking at ways of funding immigration services by collecting more revenue from passengers arriving at UK airports.
Ministers are thought to be working on plans to roll out more premium fast-track processing for visitors to the UK. The service is currently available to business class and first class passengers arriving at Heathrow Airport.
Ministers have released details of a consultation paper, which has not suggested a fee, but states that any fee for premium fast-track processing at immigration would “reflect the value of the product”.
The consultation states:
“We intend to expand the provision of dedicated VIP suites and premium fast-track processing through the border at certain ports, both of which are currently charged at a cost-recovery level.”
Immigration delays at UK airports have been the subject of controversy in recent years, with immigration processing taking hours rather than minutes on occasion. The Home Office said fees for premium fast-track processing at UK borders might be charged to the airline or port rather than to passengers, however – but proposals for direct fee charging of passengers for some services were also being considered.
The Home Office denied rolling out fees for premium fast-track processing at UK ports and airports would lead to a two-tier system of border control, but said the proposals were not only to raise revenue, but were designed to cut waiting times and queues at UK border controls.
Duncan Lewis immigration solicitors can advise on a range of issues related to asylum and immigration, including student visas, marriage, illegal entry, claiming asylum, right to work and citizenship