The UK e-borders scheme has been criticised in a new report, with recommendations for a ‘total re-think’.

John Vine, chief inspector of borders and immigration, said that the e-borders, despite being positioned as a globally advanced system, had failed to effectively alert border staff, without a single person having been stopped by the scheme so far.

The data currently being collecting by the e-borders program according to the report, currently failed to effectively allow border staff to monitor foreign nationals entry and exit from the UK, with this functionality not being available until 2018 at the earliest.

The scheme has been hampered by only screening airports and not including train and ferry passengers , in addition only two airlines have signed up for the pre-departure screening checks.

The report also revealed that the e-borders system is under pressure, demands on the system have resulted in more than 640,000 drug and tobacco alerts being deleted in order to prioritise immigration alerts.

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