New Border Force begins work
The Border Force and the UK Border Agency now operate separately.
The decision to split the two organisations was made by Home Secretary Theresa May following the publication of the Vine Report into unauthorised border checks.
The new interim head of the Border Force, Chief Constable Brian Moore, officially took up office today.
He will lead the newly formed Home Office operational command that will be responsible for immigration and customs, including our controls in France and Belgium.
He said: ‘I am delighted to start as the new interim Head of the Border Force as we officially move out of the UK Border Agency and into a new Home Office command.
‘Securing the borders and protecting our communities from crime is a huge challenge and vitally important to the UK.
‘I see my appointment as a reflection of the importance of the Border Force in national and international law enforcement and I am hugely excited by this opportunity to make ours amongst the safest borders in the world.’
The UK Border Agency, under Chief Executive Rob Whiteman, will continue to be responsible for immigration casework, in-country enforcement and removals activity, the immigration detention estate and our overseas immigration operations.
Chief Constable Moore has more than 30 years of operational policing experience mainly as a criminal investigator in London, tackling serious and organised crime and as the national police lead for all aspects of violent crime and public protection.