Immigration control spreads inland... (UK Border Force)

Member Name: pmcds

Product:	UK Border Force
Date:	05/11/09 (51 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Really intriguing and compelling

Disadvantages: Don't always get to see everything

This Sky1 TV programme is one of those fly on the wall documentaries that follows a selection of border patrol officers, as they control the borders of the UK. This could involve any type of border, including ferry crossings, cruise ships, and flights. While other shows mainly focus on the airport security, this does involve sea border patrols, which are very diverse.

It's pretty good in terms of providing true stories and a real representation of actual cases, and it interviews the authorities behind the scenes as the show features individual cases, almost in more depth and detail than other shows may do. It's very interesting to see the various different issues that arise, and how immigration problems are dealt with.

Quite often, Heathrow is focused upon, and this generally involves seeing a job that I would never wish to do in my life. Dealing with immigration is a very tense and political issue, no doubt in every country across the world. The jobs these people do are vital to things such as the security of our country and upholding the country's laws are often things that the workers on the show find it hard to deal with. Personal feelings must be put aside, and it's the emotional empathy that some of them feel that often makes the show more intriguing. The occasional person who genuinely seems like they want to come into the country for genuine purposes, however, may be someone illegally seeking work, without entitlement into country, or could be carrying something suspicious, etc. It is how the authorities deal with issues that we see.

You don't often get to see the nitty gritty behind the scenes, it is very superficial, and there are only glimpses of the actual staff talking to each other about an issue. Whether this is because certain things aren't allowed to be aired or not, I'm not sure, but it can get a little frustrating, you really want to know more.

Coupled with the daily routine investigation of people who come through customs normally are the teams whose job it is to seek out those trying to pull a fast one, and there are raid teams who need to search transport or come a bit further in land, for example to 'raid' a restaurant or bingo hall or any other business where they have reason to believe that there are illegal immigrants who have been employed under false pretences. These elements are perhaps the most intriguing, and it is good to see that efforts are made into reducing this issue.

Overall, it's an intriguing and compelling programme. Part of it is the fly on the wall element, the curiosity and being nosy. It is interesting to know what really goes on, and you get the feeling that you're not being fooled, whereas other programmes may be misleading in some ways, giving the false impression of an area or of an issue. It's well worth a watch. It airs on Sky1, often mid morning, and this is on Sky channel 106. The programme generally lasts for an hour.

Summary: Sky1's intriguing border patrol and immigration control programme