With the debate about Britain remaining in the European Union or not taking place, there is no shortage of talking points or comments relating to immigration in the United Kingdom. While most of these stories are just an opportunity for someone or a media outlet with an opinion to rant and rail about their views, you do also get some stories that are a bit more light-hearted.

Well, the story about how snigger dogs in Manchester Airport were far more likely to sniff out sausages and cheese than drugs was the funny aspect of the story but there were more worrying trends to the full release of information. As someone pointed out, sausages and cheese probably have a bigger impact on the health of people in the UK than drugs but equally, there is a worry if these items cannot be discovered before they make their way into the country. There was a slight defence made with the fact that drug trafficking is more likely to be stopped by intelligence information as opposed to catching people with drugs on them at customs, but it doesn’t provide people with confidence.

Prevention is the Best Cure

There is no getting away from the fact that prevention is the best approach when it comes to stopping drugs enter the United Kingdom but people like to see a hands-on approach stopping people and having success at the main entry points. It is not as if anyone is disappointed in the dogs or suggesting that they have failed in their targets but it may be that there will be a review on how drug smuggling is viewed and monitored at the leading airports in the United Kingdom.

In the same story, there was potentially more worrying news relating to the work undertaken by immigration officers. An announcement made by a watchdog organisation looking into border control staff at Manchester Airport revealed that 80% of suspicious passengers are being waved through without being interviewed. Even though there are suspicions about these entrants it transpires that they are allowed to enter the United Kingdom without being spoken to by Border staff.

Home Office Guidelines are Clear for Border Control Staff

This is in contravention of Home Office guidelines. These guidelines state than when there is concern over the reason(s) cited for someone travelling to the UK, they should be questioned. The investigating team looked at a total of 50 cases and it transpired that only 10 people were interviewed. There were also 12 cases where there was an “accumulation of negative evidence” relating to someone’s ability to enter the country and yet there were no issues raised regarding their ability to enter the UK. There was also an instance of someone being allowed to enter unchecked even though he had lied to staff members and there were concerns arising from the United States that he may attempt to use an alias in looking to gain entry to the United Kingdom.

The same investigation found that some employees were supervising the work carried out by immigration work without suitable training. With a seemingly increasing focus on immigration in the United Kingdom, these findings will come as a great concern for people who are looking to find arguments for the UK to close its borders and be even stricter when it comes to stopping immigrants come to the country.

It is not as though is a direct argument against the European Union but there are many who will argue that if Britain remains part of the EU, which means playing by EU rules, these slips and errors will continue to happen. People who don’t share that issue will say that these are two separate issues but you can guarantee that this is not the last you have heard of these debates and issues.

There is no doubt that immigration is a major issue for people in the United Kingdom, and anyone who is facing issues with immigration needs the best advice. Anyone looking for assistance or support will find that hiring an immigration solicitor is the smart move to move forward with effectiveness. It can be difficult to find the right sort of guidance but calling on the professionals who work in this area is the best starting point.

The story about sniffer dogs finding food as opposed to drugs will be of interest, but many people will cite a more worrying trend to come from the latest immigration story to hail from Manchester Airport.

Andrew Reilly is a freelance writer with a focus on news stories and consumer interest articles. He has been writing professionally for 9 years but has been writing for as long as he can care to remember. When Andrew isn’t sat behind a laptop or researching a story, he will be found watching a gig or a game of football.