The work of immigration and customs has been brought together in a 'Primary Checkpoint' to strengthen border controls across the region. This means that both customs and immigration checks will be carried out in the same place.
The Port of Tees and Hartlepool comprises the second biggest port in the United Kingdom handling some 5,500 ships per annum of which over 3,300 arrive from foreign ports. Customs and immigration officers now work together at the port to tackle immigration and smuggling. In 2007-8, 3 tonnes of rolling tobacco and 4.5 million cigarettes were seized at the port, whilst the Agency's search teams have boarded over 100 vessels in the last 3 months looking for people and goods that have been hidden on board.
Visiting Teesport today, the Head of the Border Force, Brodie Clark said:
"I came to Teesport today to find out how customs and immigration officers are now working closely together. The new Primary Checkpoint at the port will make it even harder for illegal immigrants and goods to be smuggled into the UK.
"Our single Border Force, with new powers, is the public face of the biggest shake-up of Britain's border security for 45 years.
"Criminals don't care how they make money. They smuggle people and illegal goods that put all of us in danger. That's why we need a single Border Force to stop them and it is the staff in this region that are at the frontline for identifying threats to our border security."
Border Force officers now have new powers enabling them to:
- obtain information from customs to identify illegal immigrants and benefit cheats;
- prosecute traffickers and people smugglers who make money out of human misery; and
- pursue, search and detain anyone of interest to the authorities for criminal reasons.
The Port of Teesport was chosen as one of five pilot 'Flagship Ports' for the Primary Checkpoint, which started operating on 9 June 2008. Other pilot ports include Edinburgh, Coquelles, Gatwick and Harwich.
