希思罗机场开“后门” 花钱可快速入境

Wealthy travellers can pay £1,800 to jump long immigration queues at Heathrow airport.

The service, described as Heathrow's 'best kept' secret has outraged critics at a time when many passengers are forced to endure a three-hour wait to enter the country.

And it follows claims long queues and staff shortages have forced customs officials to stop screening travellers for arms and drugs.

Passengers who pay the £1,800 fee are whisked by limousine from their aircraft to a VIP suite, where they can sip champagne while their passports are checked and their luggage is brought to them.

The fee covers up to six passengers, who are given priority treatment, even if airport staff are stretched by long queues inside the terminal.

Staff shortages, caused by recent government cutbacks, have been blamed for weeks of chaos at Britain's airports.

Some travellers arriving in the UK have had to endure queues of three hours to pass through immigration, prompting huge numbers of complaints.

Police officers have been called in on several occasions in recent weeks to control impatient passengers who had attempted to force their way through immigration without having their passports checked.

The chaos has piled pressure on immigration minister Damian Green and critics are calling on Home Secretary Theresa May to intervene.

Louise Ellman, chairwoman of the Commons transport select committee said the VIP offer 'shows the contempt for members of the public trying to get into the country.'

And Shadow Home Secretary Yvette Cooper told The Sunday Times: 'If the only way to avoid a nightmare queue is to fork out over £1,000 extra, Britain's reputation for travellers will be in shreds.'

A report in The Observer newspaper today claimed staff shortages are so severe at Heathrow, frontline officers have had to abandon screening for passengers smuggling arms and drugs into the UK.

A senior official, who chose to remain anonymous, told the newspaper Heathrow could be described as having 'no border controls' at all when it comes to smuggling.

(Read by Emily Cheng. Emily Cheng is a journalist at the China Daily Website.)

双语资讯

(Agencies)

希思罗机场的“后门”服务近日引起争议。只要花上1800英镑，富有的乘客就可以不用排队，直接接受入境服务。

这项被称为希思罗机场“最高机密”的服务招致了批评，很多乘客在入境时都被迫经历排队3个小时的煎熬。

此前，由于排队过长和人员紧缺，希思罗机场的海关工作人员已经停止检查乘客是否携带武器和毒品。

乘客交1800英镑后，一下飞机，就有豪华轿车立即把他们接到VIP套房。他们可以在那里边喝香槟边等待护照检查，行李也会被运过去。

费用可同时包含六名乘客，即使其它乘客在航空站排着长队，工作人员也会赶来优先接待他们。

由于英国政府削减经费，造成机场工作人员紧缺，这也成为几周以来英国机场一片混乱的主因。

一些旅行者抵达英国后办理入境手续时不得不忍受排三个小时长队的痛苦，这也导致了大批投诉。

最近几周，由于某些缺乏耐心的乘客试图不接受护照检查就强制入境，英国警方已经几次被召集去控制局面。

类似骚乱对英国移民部长达米安-格林构成压力，还有批评人士呼吁英国内政大臣特里萨•梅伊参与协调。

英国下院交通特别委员会女议长路易斯•艾尔曼说，这种VIP服务对于“进入英国的普通民众也是一种歧视”。

英国影子内政大臣伊薇特•库珀告诉《星期日泰晤士报》：“如果避免噩梦般长队的唯一办法是要多花一千多英镑，那么英国在旅游者中的名声会变得很臭。”

《观察家报》今天的一份报道称，希思罗机场的员工紧缺问题非常严重，一线工作人员不得不放弃检查乘客是否向英国走私武器和毒品。

一位不愿透露姓名的高级官员告诉该报，如果说到走私，希思罗机场简直就是“没有边境控制”。

Vocabulary:

limousine: 豪华轿车

fork out: 支付