Millions of air travellers face sweeping new security tests, including passenger profiling and checks against a secret watchlist, it has emerged.
Searches could be carried out according to race, ethnicity, age and gender – a move certain to anger civil rights groups fearing Muslims will be disproportionately targeted.
The examinations will also check for criminal convictions, immigration problems and links to terror suspects.
Passenger profiling has been resisted by previous Home Secretaries because it means far greater numbers of travellers will be stopped, searched and barred from flying.
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