UK Borders Bill
4:30 pm
Richard Thomas: My experience over the last three years is in dealing with offences in the Crown court and the Court of Appeal in relation to offences mostly brought in with the 2004 Act, but also documentary offences. So, on a weekly basis, I speak to police officers, mostly down at Isleworth Crown court, who have come out of Heathrow. Of course what I say is anecdotal and from my experience, so I limit it in that way, but certainly the concern that the officers have is something that I see on a regular basis.
The other thing that I hear about is that under the “Operation Enforcement Manual” there is a lot of scope for immigration officers not being able do their own work, but having to do it within police teams. That is taking resources away from the police. Albeit anecdotal, it is something that I am confident is a correct view of the circumstances.