Arriving passengers stopped by Customs and Immigration (FOI)

Request

Under the Freedom of Information (Jersey) Law 2011, I would like to have information of the following:

A

How many people get stopped in security when arriving on the island?

B

What is the ethnic makeup of those people stopped?

C

How many have a disability, including invisible disability such as autism, dyslexia, ADHD and so on?

Response

General

Your request refers to ‘security’ stopping people at the ports; there are three agencies that may be considered to fulfil a ‘security’ role at the ports: the Jersey Customs and Immigration Service (JCIS), the States of Jersey Police and G4S (security search on behalf of Ports of Jersey). As you refer to people arriving on the island, this response will only comment on the activities of JCIS, who deal with arriving passengers.

Background

JCIS does not record how many persons are stopped and spoken to by officers on arrival (ie when no search takes place).

Where officers stop and question a person on arrival and either a small amount of GST / duty is collected or a small quantity of revenue goods is seized, a receipt record is made with the person’s name and address but ethnicity is not recorded on these receipts.

When an arriving passenger is stopped and searched by officers, a detailed record is made. If that passenger has been stopped and searched previously, an entry will be made against their existing ‘Nominal Person’ record; if the arriving passenger does not have a ‘Nominal Person’ record, a new ‘Nominal Person’ record will be created. “Nominal Person’ records generally include details of ethnicity.

A

Between 1 January 2018 and 27 September 2018 Customs and Immigration officers recorded 646 searches having been made. 295 passenger duty / seizure Receipts were issued. 540 Nominal Person records were created.

B

The ethnicity of the 540 Nominal Person records created between 1 January 2018 and 27 September 2018 is as follows:

• White European – 419

• Dark European – 69

• Afro Caribbean – 5

• Asian – 17

• Oriental – 6

• Arab / Middle East - 16

• Other – 2

• Not recorded – 6

C

JCIS does not record whether any persons stopped on arrival has a disability. This information is not held.