Checks on terror suspects at Britain’s borders have dived after wave of deadly attacks on UK
A total of 400 people were arrested on suspicion of terror offences in the year to September
CHECKS on terror suspects at Britain’s borders have dived by nearly a FIFTH in the past year – staggering official figures reveal.
The Home Office said the number of individuals quizzed at the country’s ports, airports and rail stations plunged 22 per cent in the year to September to 16,919.
Earlier this week a damning report said MI5 forgot to put a “port stop” on Manchester Arena bomber Salman Abedi – meaning he came back from Libya unchallenged four days before his suicide attack.
Yesterday’s figures showed the number of actual arrests in the UK for terrorism related offences hit a new high of 400 in 2016-2017 – up 54 per cent.
Sources claimed police were operating in a more “targeted” way - and the number of actual detentions “following examination” were broadly level.
But the dramatic drop in border checks – the first year on year fall since 2011 – will fuel concerns about cutbacks among immigration officials.
Lucy Moreton, head of the Border Force trade union, told the Sun last month that there was effectively no way to track down and boot out illegal immigrants working in Britain.
Of the 400 arrests recorded in the year to September, 64 were in connection with five terror attacks – including 23 linked to Abedi’s Manchester bomb.
Some 58 were female – an all-time high – while 18 were aged under 16.
There was a 77 per cent rise in the number of white suspects – from 81 to 143.
MOST READ IN POLITICS
Security Minister Ben Wallace yesterday said police and security services had been clear “we are facing a shift rather than a short-term spike in the terrorism threat”.
He added: “The statistics we are publishing today demonstrate the breadth of work that they undertake, alongside the rest of the criminal justice system, day in and day out to keep us safe.
“But this is not the totality of our work. The whole of society must come together to challenge the terrorist threat.”
Earlier this week, MI5 chief Andrew Parker revealed the security services had foiled nine terror plots so far this year.
Ex-counter terror chief David Anderson added the terror threat was likely to remain at the current “peak” level for some time.