UNITED KINGDOM: Strike Actions to Affect Entry

December 15, 2022


On 12 December 2022, the UK’s Public and Commercial Service (PCS) union announced civil service industrial action, which will affect the Border Force services.

The proposed Border Force strikes will take place between 23 December 2022 and 31 December 2022. The strikes on 26 December 2022 and 31 December 2022 will go on until 7 a.m. only.

The strikes will affect the following locations:

  • Birmingham Airport
  • Cardiff Airport
  • Gatwick Airport
  • Heathrow Airport – Terminals 2, 3, 4 and 5
  • Manchester Airport
  • Port of Newhaven

Discussions have taken place in order for military personnel, civil servants, and volunteers to be trained to support the Border Force services at airports and ports. Despite the diverted support to help with the flow of travellers during this period, there are likely to be disruptions and long queue wait times.

 

Our advice

If you are travelling to the UK during this period, you are likely to face longer waiting times. As such, if your passport holds a biometric chip and you are eligible to use eGates, we encourage you to use them to hopefully smoothen the process a little. We also encourage you to check with the airlines and carriers before travelling to the UK for any announced delays and cancellations.

If you are Skilled Worker or a worker coming into the UK under the Global Business Mobility routes, please contact your sponsor if you foresee any delays, as this may affect your work start dates. This also permits your UK sponsor to carry out any compliance actions resulting from the delays you are experiencing.

Organisations and individuals impacted by this development are encouraged to contact a Newland Chase immigration specialist for case-specific advice.

For general advice and information on immigration and business travel to the UK, please contact us.

This immigration update is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for legal or scenario-specific advice. Furthermore, it is important to note that immigration announcements are subject to sudden and unexpected changes. Readers are encouraged to reach out to Newland Case for any case- or company-specific assessments.