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In Brief: UK immigration controls at work:

01 September 1995

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Bonito Cobbola, an Algerian, jumped from a Eurotunnel high-speed train in Kent on 17 August after being sent back to France by immigration officials. The Home Office said that since November last year 590 people had been asked to leave via the Eurostar service after being refused entry at Waterloo station. He was put back on the train to Lille unescorted; the Home said only half a dozen such people had been escorted. On 26 September the Home Office announced that it had introduced a new computer system at all UK points of entry. Under the new system immigration officials will "swipe" machine readable passports through an automatic reader linked to the "Suspect Index System". The Suspect Index holds 400,000 entries of people of "interest" to officials - it cover migrants to be refused entry, police "suspects", suspected terrorists, international criminals, as well as people whose movements are of "interest" to the Special Branch and MI5. Guardian, 18.9.95; Home Office, press release, 26.9.95.

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