"Home Secretary John Reid has outlined plans to toughen border controls as part of changes he says will make the UK immigration system work properly.
There will be uniformed immigration officers at ports and airports - and by 2014 passport checks to ensure there is a record of who has left the UK.
Mr Reid said he was putting forward long term solutions "not quick fixes".
Why bother, if it's not going to happen before 2014? Furthermore, embarcation controls would in theory record the identities of those leaving the UK - but the people in whom the Home Office should be interested are those who haven't left. It would be a major task to tick off on the register of incomers those who have left, thus identifying those who haven't. Especially as there are some 90 million visitors per year to the UK. Nor does the Home Office have such a terrific record with computer systems (see the CSA, passport agency, identity cards and so on) as to inspire confidence that they will be able to get this one right, even after 8 years.
As Dr Reid says, it's not a quick fix - but some of us doubt if it's much of a long-term solution, either...
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