EXTRA immigration staff have been drafted into Manchester Airport to deal with the estimated 12,000 non-EU Games participants and large numbers of overseas visitors who will arrive in the UK over the next two weeks.

This is the culmination of two-years' preparation work by the Immigration Service for the 2002 Commonwealth Games.

The Immigration Service is determined to assist genuine participants and visitors and has been working closely with the Games organisers and individual Commonwealth Games Associations since 2000 to make sure genuine visitors pass through smoothly.