Gatwick Airport sign criticised as 'needlessly hostile'

A sign at border control at Gatwick Airport has been criticised as being 'pointless and needlessly aggressive'.
The sign at Gatwick Airport. Photo: Captain SKA / TwitterThe sign at Gatwick Airport. Photo: Captain SKA / Twitter
The sign at Gatwick Airport. Photo: Captain SKA / Twitter

The sign at passport control at Gatwick Airport warns that checks will be carried out on all arriving passengers 'to keep out people who have no right to enter and to welcome those who do'.

Some people arriving at Gatwick Airport have criticised the sign on Twitter.

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A person with the Twitter name Captain SKA shared an image of the sign and said, in tweet that has been liked more than 5,000 times: "Just arrived in Gatwick to find this new poster at passport control. Really saddened and angry.

"Serves no other purpose than intimidation and hostility. Come on Britain. We are better than this."

He added: "No problem with border control. Big problem with a needlessly hostile sign that shows we are becoming a backwards and intolerant nation."

Steve Pretty, a musician and performer, also tweeted a photo of the sign and said: "Never seen anything like this in any airport in the world, including the US post-Trump. So embarrassing."

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He said the sign was both 'entirely pointless and needlessly aggressive' and said: "I am just baffled as to why it is now acceptable to present this (and, I might add, a 60 minute queue in the family lane) as one of the first things people see as they enter the country."

However not all agreed with their assessment.

Steve R. Macey tweeted: "Sorry, surely all countries do this? Otherwise how do they know who has right to enter?

"What on earth were border authorities doing before? I'm flying back to London today- I'll be rightly asked for my UK passport."

A representative for Gatwick confirmed the poster was erected in arrival halls, but said the content of the sign was decided by the Home Office.

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The Home Office, whose agency Border Force is behind the poster, declined to comment on the language used.