Airlines at Palma airport are photocopying suspect passengers' passports and identification documents in an attempt to crack down on illegal immigrants using Palma as a gateway to the United Kingdom. Travel industry sources at the airport told the Bulletin on Thursday that over recent months there appears to have been a marked increase in the number of immigrants using flights from Palma bound for the UK. The majority are using the same fake documents, which are either French of Dutch, as they did to enter Spain on the mainland to board flights to Britain. However, once in the air, the passports etc are being torn up and flushed down the aircraft toilets. Once in the United Kingdom, they are then presenting themselves to the police, claiming asylum. However, airline staff in Palma are photocopying passports in a bid to try and help British airport police catch the illegal immigrants out. Police are able to contact the airlines in order to see if they have copies of the documents with which the passengers checked in but subsequently destroyed during the flight.
New Palma gateaway to the UK for illegal immigrants