UK Border Agency search white air passengers to balanced 'racial mix': Report

London, May 10 (ANI): UK Border Agency custom officials routinely stop and search white air passengers to ensure the right racial 'mix' of travellers, a report has revealed.

According to the report, the staff at Gatwick Airport staff selected white passengers for a searching of illegal goods, to balance the numbers against black and other ethnic minorities and avoid race discrimination complaints.

The racial scanning, seemingly widespread at Gatwick, involved pulling out white passengers when officials wanted to question a black passenger.

One official told inspectors he and his colleagues 'specifically detained a number of white passengers' from one flight so they could 'show that white people were also being questioned'.

'The officer also reported that this practice ... is also used for Caribbean flights to reduce the potential for future race claims," the Daily Mail quoted the inspector, as saying.

However, John Vine, Chief Inspector of the UK Border Agency, said that it was unlawful and must stop.

He said the approach was 'not justifiable' and that there was 'no legal basis for detaining people for such purpose'. (ANI)