Tens of thousands of Channel migrants arriving in the UK are bypassing critical security checks. During a recent interview on GBNews, Tony Smith, former director general of the UK Border Force, described the situation as “very worrying,” pointing to immense pressure on frontline agencies and insufficient time to conduct proper vetting.
Smith highlighted the magnitude of the issue: only one in fifteen illegal migrants are being asked questions at border crossings to conduct background checks. Even more concerning, these interviews are not mandatory.
“Anybody coming into this country, by any means, should be thoroughly screened,” Smith said. He emphasized that many migrants are arriving without documentation, making identification nearly impossible. The challenge, he noted, is compounded by legal constraints at facilities like Manston, a short-term holding center where migrants must be processed and released within 24 hours or the government risks being sued for unlawful detention.
Due to this legal pressure, migrants are rushed through facilities at the expense of thorough screening. “There are lots of things that are not being done,” Smith admitted. “Maybe they’re done later by enforcement teams—but by then, the individuals are already in the system.”
“We have fantastic tools now,” he said, referencing advanced risk analysis software and facial recognition systems. “But we’re not making good use of them. We’re capturing images, but not checking them against the Police National Database.”
He concluded with a stark warning: “There needs to be a thorough review. Everyone coming into the country—especially undocumented migrants—must be properly screened before being considered for temporary admission. Right now, that’s clearly not happening.”
