Theresa May will attempt to revamp Britain’s border controls after the Olympics to cut queues and allow low-risk passengers to enter more swiftly.
The planned reform will aim to use advance data supplied by airlines and airport operators such as BAA to identify more effectively the flights on which significant numbers of criminals, suspected illegal migrants and other unwanted foreigners arrive.
It will also seek to ensure that border staff have more accurate information about sudden influxes of passengers, caused by flight bottlenecks, so that they can deploy extra manpower.
The plan — which follows fierce criticism over the length of queues at Heathrow and elsewhere in recent weeks — is intended to result in a “risk-based” approach towards passengers.
The announcement prompted claims that it would be a return to the system deployed by former Border Force chief Brodie Clark, who quit last year in a row with Mrs May over the unauthorised easing of checks.
Officials insisted, however, that the new system would speed up queues without compromising security. “The Home Secretary has always said that she is willing to consider a risk-based approach to border controls, but that does not mean any weakening of security or any U-turn,” said a source.
Information from pilot schemes run last year continues to be assessed, but one difficulty of a risk-based scheme is that significant numbers of criminals and other suspect individuals arrive from European countries, which means Britons in the EU arrivals queue could face longer waits.
In the meantime, ministers are pressing ahead with the deployment of 80 extra staff at Heathrow and the use of “mobile response” teams of border guards when large queues form.
