Foreign Secretary David Lammy confirmed on 7 November that more than 9,000 check-in and gate agents at airlines including Wizz Air, Jet2 and Lufthansa have completed Home Office-approved training to validate UK visas and Electronic Travel Authorisations (ETAs) before passengers board. The programme covers 39 countries, targeting routes frequently used for irregular migration such as Greece, Malta and Albania.
Under the scheme, airline staff must scan travellers’ passports, cross-check ETA or visa status in real time and deny boarding if authorisation is missing. Carriers that fail to enforce the checks face fines of up to £50,000 per passenger under the Carriers’ Liability Regulations.
![9,000 airline staff trained to verify UK visas before boarding]()
The Foreign Office positions the initiative as a cornerstone of Labour’s “digital border” strategy and a force-multiplier for overstretched Border Force officers. Civil-liberties groups, however, argue that outsourcing immigration decisions to private airline workers with limited appeal routes risks wrongful denials and discrimination.
For businesses, the policy heightens pre-flight compliance risk. Mobility managers should ensure travellers carry the same passport used for their ETA application and build extra check-in time into itineraries. Carriers report that the training has boosted staff confidence, but teething errors are expected during the busy Christmas period.
Under the scheme, airline staff must scan travellers’ passports, cross-check ETA or visa status in real time and deny boarding if authorisation is missing. Carriers that fail to enforce the checks face fines of up to £50,000 per passenger under the Carriers’ Liability Regulations.
The Foreign Office positions the initiative as a cornerstone of Labour’s “digital border” strategy and a force-multiplier for overstretched Border Force officers. Civil-liberties groups, however, argue that outsourcing immigration decisions to private airline workers with limited appeal routes risks wrongful denials and discrimination.
For businesses, the policy heightens pre-flight compliance risk. Mobility managers should ensure travellers carry the same passport used for their ETA application and build extra check-in time into itineraries. Carriers report that the training has boosted staff confidence, but teething errors are expected during the busy Christmas period.
