Britain to hire 1,000 more border guards for Brexit: senior official

LONDON - A senior government official on Wednesday announced that Britain is to hire 1,000 new border guards to cope with the demands of Brexit.

British Home Secretary Amber Rudd told MPs on the Home Affairs Committee that it will bring to 1,300 the number of extra people drafted in after 300 were announced last October.

She said that Brexit preparation is costing more than 450 million pounds ($634.88 million) over two years.

"I can announce today that we are launching a national advertising campaign for another thousand border force staff in order to improve the quality of our border and prepare specifically for Brexit," she said.

Asked whether guards would be put at Welsh ports Fishguard and Holyhead, which have ferry links to Ireland, Rudd said, "They will be placed across the country. We need to make sure that every area is made secure."

European Union leaders on Wednesday piled pressure on the UK to put forward "serious" ideas to solve the Irish border issue by summer, or risk scuppering a transition deal.

The Dutch have already announced that hey are recruiting 750 new customs agents, and France 250.

However, a British Home Office official later clarified that although 1,300 people were being recruited, some would simply replace staff who were leaving through natural wastage.

The official was not able to say the exact number of extra positions being created due to Brexit.

"We think it's going to be enough," Rudd added. "We have done a careful analysis. If we need more we will make that decision as we go forward."