Delay in Heathrow Airport The Ministry of the Interior described it as “unacceptable” because of reports that passengers fainted during the three-hour line.
Border workers had to deal with a large backlog of passengers. Witnesses said they saw someone — including a pregnant woman — passing out while queuing.
The Home Office criticized its own immigration agency, the British Border Force, and said the long waiting time for passengers was “unacceptable”. It added that the border force is reviewing its roster and “flexibility” to help solve this problem and reduce queue time.
A spokesperson said: “During the pandemic, we are well aware that the queue time may be longer because we ensure that all passengers comply with the hygiene measures adopted to ensure the safety of the British public. However, we have seen long waiting times Heathrow It was unacceptable last night.
“For returning passengers, this is the busiest weekend of the year, especially for families with children under the age of 12 who cannot use the electronic boarding gate. The border guards are rapidly reviewing their roster and capacity and deploying us flexibly throughout the airport. Staff to shorten the waiting time.
“We are working closely with Heathrow Airport and its airlines, and we are all committed to ensuring that all passengers can enjoy a safe and worry-free journey.”
Sonny Singh, a vacationer, told Sky news He saw a pregnant woman fainted while queuing at the airport on Friday night. He said: “There are tens of thousands of families queuing, and only two people are checking documents in the front pavilion.
“The children were screaming and crying. The queue moved about 5 feet in about 45 minutes. Then, when the pregnant woman fainted, it finally spread somewhere—then the children were put aside and sat down. The adults waited in the queue and it started to move faster.”
Singh said that after three hours of waiting, his family left Heathrow Airport shortly after midnight, when the train stopped running.
Another passenger who was in chaos said that he and his pregnant wife had to wait two hours after returning from vacation in Malta. Jason Reid told Sky News: “To be honest, this is definitely a massacre. My wife is pregnant and has a bad back, so it’s really uncomfortable and very tired.”
