Fifteen million a people a year who travel by air or sea between Britain and the Irish Republic will face formal passport checks for the first time in more than 80 years, under immigration legislation published today
Bad move, although we should be thankful for small mercies:
A British proposal to introduce passport checks for those who fly from Belfast to the rest of the UK was dropped after strong opposition from Conservatives and Ulster Unionists.
A certain commentator on here will be interested to learn(!):
The imposition of border controls will however also apply to those who travel between Britain and the Isle of Man, Jersey and Guernsey.
10 comments:
I find it very interesting. We are always being told that independence would be "backward" as nations are now "integrating". Particulalry Labour.
However instead of preserving the Common Travel Area, the British seem to be becoming more insular and may I say (if the media are a reflection) xenophobic.
Interesting.
When I was on holiday last year, I did not have to show my passport from the time I crossed from Croatia into Slovenia till I was on the flight back to Edinburgh from Frankfurt, having travelled through Slovenia, Austria, the Czech Republic and into Germany due to the Schengen zone.
There is no good reason why the UK is not part of the schengen zone. It is no more threatened by mass immigration than any other western country.
There are good arguments are Euro membership. Not really any that stand up for being outside the Schengen zone.
Surprised about the Crown Dependencies legislation though. I can see some anger being reflected in Douglas etc.
On Schengen I'd agree. Re the "treat" of mass immigration, it's employment not immigration law which is the main determinant.
Glad they saw some sense though in not asking British citzens from Northern Ireland(an integral part of the United Kingdom), travelling within the United Kingdom for passports. Thereby being treated differently from other Britons.
"treat" should read "threat"
Freudian slip!
Fifteen million a people a year who travel by air or sea between Britain and the Irish Republic will face formal passport checks for the first time in more than 80 years
So if I take the enterprise from Dublin, things stay as they are... ie no check ?
If so, then why the inconsistency.
The whole thing is dum as the plans from what I heard would contain no border control for the ROI/NI border - so anyone can use the ferry and chance their arm at getting past the Special Branch goons at "Police Control".
It is a bit like border control by road between Croatia and Bosnia in some parts. The checking of passports is a random affair. Yet it is obligatory if you fly between the two countries and probably if you take the train (never done that one though).
I remember taking the bus to Dubrovnik from Mostar. When we crossed the Bos-Cro frontier, passports were only checked by the Bosnian cops but not by the Croats who waived us through.
Then we hit the border with Croatia-Bosnia for its small coastal strip around Neum. Bus stops at the border, bus driver shouts at the Croat border post. Drives on. Does the same at Bosnian post.
This despite having picked up people in Croatia. Drove through Bosnia again. Dropped some people off there and then crossed back into Croatia - waived through by the Bosnians and a quick check (no stamping) by the Croats before heading towards Dubrovnik.
A bit less slack between Croatia and Dubrovnik. We wrote down our personal details on a sheet (passport number etc) which was given to the Croat border post and then we drove on without a passport inspection. We only got checked once we hit Montenegro.
Kloot
"ad hoc "intelligence-led" immigration checks will be carried out by mobile teams of Border Agency staff."
In theory.
And yes, it is a nonsense.
Aberdonian
Pre Schengen, the border controls between Austria and the states to the east were interesting to say the least. I actually think now that the Schengen borders have been shored up round Ukraine, Romania, Croatia and Serbia a great deal of the previous potential risk has been removed.
On Schengen, I disagree. The issue we have now is that zaNuLabour aren't enforcing the border controls that are one of the principle reasons for the existence of a State in the first place.
Ditto the Euro. Easy to get in, painful to get out.
And I'm pretty angry about passport control to the Isle of Man. I worked there for a while a few years back and we went on holiday (and entered the IoM Go Tournament) there this year, along with my in-laws. They haven't got passports and so wouldn't have been able to join us at the last minute.
On Schengen, I disagree. The issue we have now is that zaNuLabour aren't enforcing the border controls that are one of the principle reasons for the existence of a State in the first place.
Ditto the Euro. Easy to get in, painful to get out.
Schengen only makes movement between states easier, not settlement. The main point raised about movement is obviously the import of terrorism, but its interesting that France and Germany, countries in Schengen and yet still don’t face anything like the terrorist threat which the UK is constantly under.
Regarding settlement, that’s all down to social-security laws and employment possibilities. As long as we keep a control on the spongers (internal as well as well as external) we’ve nothing to fear and a lot to gain from folk coming to make their (and our) fortune in the UK.
The Euro, yes, at the minute, I'd agree.
And I'm pretty angry about passport control to the Isle of Man. I worked there for a while a few years back and we went on holiday (and entered the IoM Go Tournament) there this year, along with my in-laws. They haven't got passports and so wouldn't have been able to join us at the last minute
I’m confused with the IOM’s (and the Channel island’s) present constitutional status, it’s probably worth a post.
The Isle of Man is a Crown Dependency with its own government and currency. They have said that if the UK adopts the Euro that they would peg their currency to the Dollar instead. (They are outside the EU and the EU is quite hostile to them because of their status as a reliable nearby Tax Haven with a sound legal system).
They pay over something like a million pounds a year (probaby more now) in order to be part of the UK Defences.
The Channel Islands are weird from what I understand. They are the last of the "Norman" holdings and have been known to argue that Britain belongs to them rather than the other way around. :-)
Post a Comment