On a visit to Manchester Airport yesterday Defence Secretsry Ben Wallace dismissed trade union claims that the country’s borders are less secure with military personnel manning immigration desks rather than border force staff, who are currently on strike in a dispute over pay.
Border force workers began eight days of strikes just before Christmas at six UK airports.
The government drafted in military personnel in their place to minimise disruption.
Those helping out when the strikes are on “are carrying out a very straightforward function and of course backed up by computer systems and scans …. that allow us to identify people of worry coming into the country.”
