Clash of the manifestos: do we have exit checks or not?

"We have already re-introduced a proper system of exit checks across the country"—Conservative manifesto

"We will introduce full exit checks, so that we can count people in and out of the country"—Labour manifesto

"Complete the restoration of full entry and exit checks at our borders"—Liberal Democrat manifesto

The government has introduced exit checks, but they're not comprehensive. Checks began at ferry terminals and the Eurotunnel on 8 April this year, after being introduced at most airports over the last seven years.

But the scope of the programme has recently been clarified by the government. It doesn't include certain routes, such as the Common Travel Area that includes the Republic of Ireland, nor does it cover those leaving on private boats and flights.

It's also been confirmed that coachloads of under-16s from school won't be included in the new checks.

Achieving full monitoring of both incoming and outgoing passenger traffic has been complicated by the fact that some transportation companies' IT systems don't facilitate data collection, as well as disagreements with some EU countries about whether they should be mandated to collect and share the information.

The process of reintroducing exit checks has been ongoing for the past decade, after paper-pased checks were partially scrapped by the Conservatives in 1994 and fully by Labour in 1998.