From 1st July 2010 new EU Regulation on screening of passengers at
airports is being implemented at Heathrow Airport. The Regulation,
which came into effect on 29 April 2010, requires hand searches and
discourages the use of hand-held metal detectors if walk-through metal
detectors suggest a passenger may be carrying a prohibited article.
This presents a major difficulty for turban wearing Sikhs as the
walk-through metal detectors will almost always go off because Sikhs
will be wearing a Kara (iron bangle) and if they are practising Sikhs
they will be wearing a small Kirpan with a blade of up to 6cm, which
now appear to be specifically allowed under the new Regulation.
The Regulation is being interpreted as requiring hand searches of the Sikh
turban, which is offensive and most insensitive towards Sikhs. It will
become an issue of considerable concern within the worldwide Sikh
community because it will impact on all turban wearing Sikhs traveling
to and from European Union airports.
We urge the UK Government to take the lead across Europe to ensure paragraph 4.1.1.7 of the Regulation is used to exempt the Sikh turban from such insensitive
screening.