Millions of holiday makers could see their plans for a summer break ruined over fears Border Force officials won’t be able to cope with the workload, it has been claimed.
Popular destinations such as Malta, several Greek and Caribbean islands and Finland are expected to be added to the green list when the traffic light system is updated next week.
It means those travelling to and from those countries won’t have to quarantine when they return to Britain.
But places like Ibiza, Mallorca and Menorca and Canary Islands Tenerife, Lanzarote and Gran Canaria, are likely to stay on the amber list because government officials are concerned that Border Force workers won’t be able to deal with a huge influx of people returning to Britain, reports The Times.
It means holidaymakers planning to visit these destinations may have to cancel their trips if they are unable to quarantine for ten days after returning, due to concerns over higher coronavirus infection rates.
France will also be kept on the amber list when the traffic light system for travel is updated on Thursday and comes into effect from 4am on Monday, June 7.
The Balearics has long been one of the most popular holiday destinations for Britons and prior to the Coronavirus pandemic, over five million Brits travelled there each year.
Government insiders told The Times that there were particular worries over the Balearics however, because of the higher rate of traffic it has with the mainland compared with other islands.
Despite infection and vaccine rates on the islands meeting the UK government’s criteria to be added to the green list, Spain’s infection rate is too high, the sources claimed.
The increase in checks at border control at airports has already led to long queues and delays as people enter the UK. Home Office rules mean Border Force officials must check the coronavirus paperwork of every passenger at passport control.
Travellers must now complete an online passenger locator form, which includes information such as passport, flight number, travel details and the phone number for an address where they can quarantine if necessary.
It takes around 15 minutes to fill out the form, which has to be completed up to 48 hours before arriving in the UK. Those coming into the country also need proof of a negative Covid-19 test taken up to 72 hours before travelling.
This has quadrupled the amount of time it takes to process travellers who have correctly completed their passenger locator forms. It can take between 30-40 minutes to process those who haven’t.
Passengers arriving at Heathrow have faced queues of up to six hours and officials have warned of an even longer backlog when the green list expands to more popular destinations.
Plans for automated e-passport gates to scan the forms aren’t expected to be up and running until October.
It is hoped that other restrictions causing hold-ups at the border — such as the one-metre-plus social distancing rule — might be relaxed by the time the traffic light system is reviewed again on June 28.
This rule has forced border control booths at some airports to cut down on the number of staff they have manning them.
A source said: “The Balearics are hugely popular and the government is worried about opening up too quickly.
“There are fears that opening up to hugely popular destinations like the Balearics would overwhelm Border Force while the 100 per cent passenger location form checks remain in place. If they open up travel too quickly, they don’t have the capacity to cope with the volumes of Brits returning through border control.
“So, while opening up the Balearics would be a big enough increase to help out the airlines, it would also be a big enough change to cause a really big problem at the border."
Lucy Moreton, professional officer at the Immigration Services Union, which represents border staff, said overcrowding at passport control was being made worse because many airports were only operating one terminal. Gatwick, Glasgow, Manchester and Birmingham still have terminals closed and Heathrow only has three of its five terminals open.
She added that ministers had a duty to let the public know if Border Force pressures were a factor in deciding which countries were added to the green list: “Border Force is being used as a punching bag. If that is the reason for the decisions they have made, then they must have the guts to be public about it,” Ms Moreton said.
The Home Office has stressed that pressures on Border Force was not a factor in deciding whether to add a country to the green list and that they are mobilising additional staff to help to minimise queueing times at passport control.
