Using airline staff as immigration officers is nothing new
I was involved with this in the 1990s, being based at Gatwick, and travelled to Azerbaijan, Ukraine, Tanzania, Egypt, Iraq and Thailand, among other destinations. The airlines requested the training and provided flights and accommodation; the training was free, at no expense to the public purse.
The visit to Cairo was particularly noteworthy as we took a briefcase full of forged passports to show the airline staff. On our departure, the briefcase was opened by 'security' at Cairo airport, the contents examined, and then closed with no further interest. We did, of course, also carry official documents setting out why we carried forged passports, but no one ever asked to see them.
Peter Hillman
Former chief immigration officer
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