A travel agent has launched a petition urging the government to put more money into tackling the queues at airports by investing in UK Border Agency.
Clive Wratten says passengers face waits of more than two hours as they enter the UK, saying “they face unmanned desks and e-gates closed or not working.”
His petition adds: “Visitors arriving to do business, invest or spend on holiday are given an appalling experience that is unacceptable”.
The petition has been launched with the view of getting enough signatures to be debated in parliament.
Speaking to Travel Weekly, Wratten, chief executive of travel management company CTI, said: “As we approach peak season visitors, investors and UK citizens are facing queues of up to two hours to get into the UK. Empty border control desks and closed e-gates is the norm. This is not a pop at the Border Force staff, who do a great job, this is about the lack of resource due to underfunding.
“The first impression anyone has of the UK is our Border Control a bad impression is bad for Britain. We should be gold standard and Border Force is, in my opinion, a customer service so customers should receive swift and efficient service.”
The budget for the border force has been reduced by £65 million since 2013, down from £617 million to £552 million.
Fed up and embarrassed by the queues at Border Control, closed e-gates and not enough Border Force staff? Then please sign my petition to force the government to review investment. @AdvantageHQ@BTN_Newshttps://t.co/SWYLBo7byV
— Clive Wratten (@Clivewratten) June 27, 2018
You can see Wratten’s petition here.