Israelis accuse Heathrow Border Force staff of ‘harassment’
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The Home Office professional standards unit is investigating a complaint that Heathrow Border Force staff “harassed” Israeli passengers arriving in the UK.
Passengers on an El Al flight from Ben Gurion to Heathrow Airport in London on Monday were asked to undergo extra checks after a customs official discovered one of the passengers had an Israeli flag, according to UK Lawyers for Israel (UKLFI).
The passengers had entered the nothing to declare channel of the airport at 10.30pm on June 9.
It is claimed a customs official noticed an Israeli flag on one of the passenger’s luggage and the whole group was ushered into a separate room, where their luggage was scanned.
Those passengers have now complained that they felt “harassed” and were subjected to “degrading treatment” because they were either Jewish or Israeli.
UKLFI has written to the Home Office complaining that the treatment was in breach of the Equality Act.
In response, the Home Office replied that it was treating the complaint “seriously” and had ordered a review of the incident.
The Home Office wrote: “This matter has been passed to the Home Office professional standards unit and an investigating officer will now investigate the matters you raised about the incident on 10 June 2024 in accordance with the Home Office’s formal complaint procedures.”
‘We can do what we want’
One passenger told UKLFI: “We were walking towards the exit when a customs official appeared and asked a man in front of me what he had on his suitcase. The man replied that it was an Israeli flag.
“Immediately the customs official started shouting that everyone on the Israeli flight must go to the room on the left.
“One traveller said, “why us?” The official didn’t reply. Another traveller said: “We are Jewish, why are you doing this to us?” The official said “I am a customs officer and I can do whatever I want.”
“It was a horrible feeling to be shunted into another room. There were two officers in the hallway – one man and one woman. The woman also said “we can do whatever we want”.
“In the other room there was a scanning machine. We had to take our luggage off our trolleys and another official put everyone’s cases through the machine. Then we were allowed to leave.”
The investigation follows claims survivors of the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel faced discrimination at Manchester Airport.
The Jewish Representative Council for Greater Manchester said two Israeli nationals who had attended the Nova Musical Festival had “faced aggressive questioning” by UK Border Force officials at the airport in March. The Home Office launched a review of the incident.
About 1,200 people were killed when Hamas stormed across Gaza’s border into Israel on October 7 in co-ordinated attacks.
The council said two survivors “had been invited to share their experiences with the Jewish community in Manchester”.
A Home Office spokesman said: “Complaints regarding Border Force are dealt with in accordance with the Home Office’s formal complaint procedures.
“Any complaint about the way in which Home Office staff or contractors’ staff carry out their duties is viewed seriously.”
