Independent Researcher

U.K. Border Force, charged with protecting one of the world’s busiest borders, is caught up in mounting problems that are undermining its ability to operate effectively. Undermanned, underfinanced and facing the same cost of living crisis, the agency does not have the resources to put a brake on illegal migration and secure the borders. This piece explores these questions in the context of comparing UK Border Force salaries to those for comparable roles in other Five Eyes countries (USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand) while it contends that political oversight, lack of investment in infrastructure and financial pressures on officers contribute to the crisis. A solution is for Home Office Border Force and civilian employees to be granted tax breaks to help ease their financial burden and focus on their work.

Cost of Living Crisis and the Application on UK Border Force

‘The UK’s cost of living crisis, as a product of inflation hitting 11.1% in October 2022 and remaining high thereafter, has badly impacted public sector workers, including Border Force officers. Higher energy prices, housing costs and food expenditures have outstripped wage gains, eating into real incomes. Border Force officers, with salaries between £24,883 for an entry level position and £50,000 for seniors, struggle with the financial demands, especially in expensive areas like London and the southeast, where many of them work. A 2023 Public and Commercial Services (PCS) Union survey revealed that 68% of civil servants in the Border Force were forced to cut back on essential items and 12% were using food banks.

This financial strain impacts morale and job productivity. Intense works days, long hours and exposure to issues such as human trafficking and smuggling all contribute to burnout, officials said. In 2022, Border Force officers at ports such as Dover and airports including Heathrow went on strike over pay and conditions, making their grievances public. The Home Office’s 2024-2025 budget includes £488 million for Border Force, but a significant amount of this is to be spent on EU exit planning and technology upgrades, with little for pay rises or recruitment. From 2018 to 2020, the agency’s full-time equivalent (FTE) employees increased from 7,700 to 9,300, yet staffing shortages remain because of staff turnover and insufficient tools to keep experienced workers.

Political Apathy and the Problem of Illegal Immigration

The politically-charged context in which UK Border Force works is one in which illegal migration – and small-boat crossings in the English Channel, in particular – figures large in public conversation. Last year, more than 45,000 migrants crossed the Channel, a record that is expected to rise. These crossings—frequently orchestrated by criminal smuggling networks—represent chinks in border security. Analysis A 2022 independent review of Border Force criticised its “inadequate” response, pointing to a failure to cooperate with the French and an inability to intercept vessels at sea. The review stressed that “each and every migrant boat crossing to UK shores needs to be tracked and intercepted,” but that sales-pitch-worthy level of control is still not being demonstrated on beach landings.

Politicians have been derided for placing short-term optics over long-term solutions. The Conservative government’s Illegal Migration Act 2023 and the Labour government’s following Border Security Command, with £75 million in 2024, are all part of the two governments’ intended strategy to prevent crossings and break up smuggling networks. But these steps do nothing to address systemic issues, such as understaffing and outdated facilities. Just a couple of weeks in and already the system can’t handle it: in the UK, Hansard reports (from 2024) simmering parliamentary anger at the Home Office’s failure to find 21,107 asylum seekers between 2018 and 2023, highlighting operational ineptitude. MPs have urged greater investment in technology, staff and coastal radar but the political focus has become increasingly splintered, the battle becoming one of the cost of measures rather than the solutions being put forward.
Fighting back against illegal migration is almost impossible unless substantial resources are spent. The Home Office spends £4.3 billion a year accommodating asylum seekers, equivalent to 28% of the UK’s foreign aid budget, and siphoning off funds from our border security. The challenge of actually strengthening Border Force, with a modern fleet of ships, surveillance systems and better intelligence-sharing with European partners. Lacking these, officers are left to cope with a daunting duty and minimal resources.

5 eyes and the UK forces:

For perspective of the struggle UK Border Force has, consider the levels of pay and support in other Five Eyes nations. In order to ensure comparability all the figures are converted to their 2025 equivalents in GBP and OECD PPP data are used.
United States (Customs and Border Protection, CBP): CBP officers’ salaries begin at £34,000 (GS-5) and can increase to £80,000 (GS-12) with experience. Senior roles reach £120,000. CBP has a staff of over 60,000 agents, with access to a 2023 budget of 12.5 billion pounds. Officers receive health insurance, contributed pension contributions and a 25% premium on overtime pay from the federal government. The U.S., meanwhile, is also investing heavily in border infrastructure with £3 billion for technology such as drones and facial recognition in 2023.

Canada (Canada Border Services Agency, CBSA): CBSA officers are paid between £38,000 and £62,000, with higher-ranking positions paid up to £90,000. The agency’s budget for 2023 was £1.8 billion and it had a staff of 15,000. Canada provides a tax break for border guards posted in remote locations and subsidizes housing in high-cost areas, easing the pressure of cost of living. The CBSA’s investment in biometrics and automated border systems drives efficiency.
Australia (Australian Border Force, ABF): ABF officers begin on £40,000, but could be taking home £70,000 and over £100,000 for senior roles. The ABF’s 2023 budget is £1.2 billion and for 5,800 staff. Off the waters of Australia, Operation Sovereign Borders, a military-run campaign, has dramatically cut illegal maritime arrivals since 2013, supported by $1.7 billion in drone and maritime surveillance spending. Policeman get ‘sea-duty’ allowances.

New Zealand (New Zealand Customs Service, NZCS): NZCS officers are paid £32,000 to £55,000 a year, with more senior roles commanding salaries of up to £80,000. In 2023, the budget was £150 million with a staff of 1,300. Its smaller border operations in New Zealand enjoy tax breaks and flexible work schedules, he added, saying they can work near home there without monetary worry. Digital border systems have sped things up following investments.

When it comes to UK Border Force pay, they are significantly behind that, with new UK officers earning 27% less than new Australian officers, and 36% less than new Canadian officers. In contrast to Canada and Australia, the UK does not have any targeted tax relief or housing benefits for border staff, magnifying difficulties with the cost of living. Watching the U.S. and Australia make significant infrastructure investments compared to the UK’s stretched budget that is curtailing technology means that the balance is tilting in favor of disruption.

Proposed Solution: Tax Deductions and Spending on Infrastructure

To meet these challenges I believe the UK government should offer tax breaks to Home Office Border Force and civil service staff. Officers earning under £50,000 could be targeted for an income tax cut, possibly of 10-15%, putting more in their pocket, reducing financial pressure and boosting morale. Taken from Canada’s remote posting relief, it would cost an estimated £150 million a year – a fraction of the £4.3 billion the country currently spends on asylum accommodation. In removing financial distractions, officers would be able to concentrate on their jobs, and improve their job performance and retention.
And the government needs to invest in infrastructure. Modern vessels and drones costing £200 million are needed for the fleet of Border Force, consisting of just five cutters and six coastal patrol vessels. Better detection of surreptitious entries through enhanced surveillance systems, including using AI to analyse material, would cost £100 million over five years. Combined with further recruitment to a total of 10,000 FTE staff, these capital injections would also make the SO accessible by more individuals.

Political Focus and Heft of Long-Term Planning

Without sustained political attention, it undercuts Border Force as an effective organisation. It is this non-politically aligned commitment to a 10-year control-strategy that is desperately needed. The approach should focus on financing, training, and global co-operation, particularly with France, to dismantle the smuggling networks. The 2024 UK-France returns agreement is a step in the right direction, yet it has not been fully implemented in practice. Such efforts require the political will to dedicate resources and combat populist rhetoric.

Conclusion

The UK Border Force is under financial pressure, political abandonment and operational difficulties at a time of ‘perfect storm’. The cost of living crisis saps officers’ purchasing power even as poor infrastructure and understaffing cripple attempts to curb illegal migration. In contrast to its Five Eyes allies, UK officers are under-resourced and under-supported, they are not invested in the modern technology. “We have to be honest about not just the lack of resources, but a lack of infrastructure and personnel that we need to support.”Offsets for Border Force and civil service personnel along with significant infrastructure injections can provide a practical answer to sharpen focus and achieve better results. The UK’s border security is exposed and will remain vulnerable until action is taken urgently, jeopardizing public confidence and putting the nation at risk.

References:

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UK borders © 2025 by HZ is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0