It’s extraordinary beyond belief to know that a man hunted for the 
murder of a policewoman can flee this country by wearing his sister’s niqab and using her passport.
Are Muslim women really allowed to hide behind their veils when they go through passport control?
That would seem to be the case, according to The Times, which reports that British immigration officers rarely carry out a visual check to match a passport photograph with a departing female passenger’s veiled face.
It’s also scary that deadly radioactive polonium 201 can easily escape detection and arrive at our airports unchecked.
It’s ludicrous for immigration staff not to check the identity of Muslim women during these very uncertain times, I’m sure a woman officer could be made available for this formality, perhaps one of the same faith.
No short cuts should be taken with our border security, even if airports are disrupted due to bad weather during the peak holiday season. The citizens of this country deserve to know that ALL security measures are being strictly followed, delays are preferable to the worst happening.
Do you feel confident that security measures at our borders is strict enough? As a result of these two cases, I certainly don’t think so, how many similar incidents have there been that we don’t know about?
I heard a radio discussion
(Sorry, I clicked “submit” by mistake.)
It’s not really so extraordinary. There is no effective exit check in this, or many other, countries (including the USA). The airline has a duty to check the paperwork, i.e. make sure the name on the booking matches the passport. Security has the duty to check that nothing sinister is being carried aboard. Whilst it is legally possible to unveil a woman, I believe that it is near unthinkable to do so unless there are the stongest suspicions.
If you really want an exit check it would involve another stage in the procedure, (a police passport check) and another queue and even more frustration before boarding. Do we really want that?
I’d be interested to learn what policy the Tories have suggested for dealing with this issue.
P.S. If you really want to get out of the UK unnoticed, the best way is to go by Chunnel. There are frequently no checks at all, your car waved onto the shuttle and Hey Presto, 40 mins later you are in France!
Jim,
I have checked the Conservative Party website and from what David Davis says, there certainly would be tighter security checks:
http://www.conservatives.com/tile.do?def=news.story.page&obj_id=134236
I agree with you about the Channel Tunnel, it’s probably still the preferred option for illegal asylum seekers.
Ellee, I agree with D.D. on that. It would also help us to keep tabs on the net influx of immigrants.
The fact that anybody can walk out wearing these things is unthinkable. Surely security should come above anything else?
Osama Bin Laden is probably walking around with one.
Extraordinary beyond belief are the words, Ellee. Producing apoplexy are two more.
James Higham: I do not agree that it is Extraordinary beyond belief! It would be extremely expensive, and dreadfully unpopular, to instigate an exit-checking scheme, causing even mnore delays at airports. If you advocate such a scheme, please suggest which slice of the tax-cake you would sacrifice? Even USA does not have such a scheme. Get real!
I wonder what would happen if you arrived at an airport wearing a balaclava!?!
It seems incredible to me that the regulations over passport photos are so ridiculously strict even for babies and yet someone wearing the niqab could pass through customs without being asked to remove it for verification. You can bet your life that no-one wearing a balaclava would stand a chance of getting through.
Jennyta: I agree with you. But there are cultural overtones associated with the niqab that do not apply to the balaclava. The balaclava is almost a hallmark of crime, of disguise whereas the niqab has religious connotations and we are supposed to respect that.
In answer to Jim, the most absolutely foolproof way to get out of the country unchecked is to climb inside a very large box and mail it back to your home address via DHL. You will never be seen in Britain again.
I think the real issue was about checking people going out. The World at One did a feature this afternoon where they explained that people under niqabs would be looked at by immigration staff. However the real issue was that going out, it was the responsibility of airline staff at the checkin desk and they might have found themselves unwilling to ask someone to unveil. What was interesting was that the Government removed the checks on exit from EU countries in 1992 and then all others in 1998. I can see the EU thing- after all we have extradition treaties with all of those countries so could get someone back easily. But the rest of the world in 1998 I don’t understand- I presume the justification was money.
But I don’t think the issue is immigration staff being unable to deal with the niqab, the real issue is the absense of exit controls.
In Sydney I witnessed customs ask a Muslim family to ‘strip”, including shoes etc…. they did. Before being allowed to pass through. They did not protest.
I witnessed the same in Paris.
SAdly the Influence of the muslim culture in Sydney has reduced some suberbs to not have any reference to christmas at all. No trees, decorations, santa ( all that’s the watered down stuff). AND certainly No reference to Christ.
Interesting a non christian man at work said.. ‘ this is a bloody christian country based on christian values….we have EVERY right to celebrate.. and if they don’t like it.. they can go back”
I found it quite surprising. it seemed to be a comment more in keeping with more fundamental view point… But……Australia is right wing (under the surface)
Merry Christmas Elllee!
What a sorry business. I think it’s bad form that these women? are not checked due to religious beliefs. I understand the whole delaying of planes issue, but come on this is just outrageous.
I think it’s another tactfull amunition excercise for these horrible ID cards. The veils wouldn’t matter then would they?!
If someone is going to start screaming human and religous rights about unveiling themselves and causing a delay, then sorry you simply don’t get on the flight. Why should other people suffer as a result. I don’t just mean passengers but society as a whole having to put up with ID cards.
[…] How did escaped killer flee to Spain? By Ellee I wonder if escaped killer Mark Ryder wore a niqab when he fled the UK for Spain almost three months ago. He gave prison guards the slip while on a shopping trip in Debenham’s in Cambridge – and headed for a life of sun and Sangria. […]