Question:
British immigration is moving to France?
Answer:
Immigration checks for the United Kingdom are moving onto the French side of
the Channel on Sunday, in an attempt to reduce illegal immigration.
Passengers travelling to Dover through Calais and Dunkirk will have
passports checked before they leave France.
If passengers do not have the correct documentation, they will not be
allowed to begin their journeys to the UK.
Home Office Minister Beverley Hughes says tightening border controls has
already halved asylum claims.
Moving the border
The deal between the UK and French Governments is intended to intercept
illegal immigrants before they arrive in Dover.
The reciprocal arrangement means that French border police will make checks
on the UK side of the Channel.
This has always been the case when travelling on Eurotunnel shuttle. In fact
a portion of Folkestone terminal where the French officials are based has
been deemed a French territory, and similarly for the Sangatte section where
British officials operate. This new move is to extend this practice to ferry
routes on short crossings, where up to now immigration checks have been
carried out once landing on respective territory. This will stop the
inconvenience of having to send people, who have been turned down for entry,
back to where they began their journey. For Eurostar trains, checks are
being carried out before boarding the train, and occasionally on the
carriage (for people who join at intermediate stations).
This should have an impact on asylum requests. Since the individuals
are still in France any asylum requests should then be delivered to the
appropriate French authorities. If passport ID were recorded for all
transit needing passports then that should remove the problem of
individuals destroying ID prior to arrival. FFM
Yes - could be pretty significant as UK immigration people have
significantly greater powers than the French, but are somewhat inhibited by
the fact that if someone makes it over they can just disappear into the
population and as long as they keep their noses clean no-one will be the
wiser. If they can be kept out in the first place they will not have that
recourse.
This is certainly a simpler problem than faced in North America. I don't know if
there is any problem with "illegals" crossing the EU borders say between France and
Germany, or vice-versa, but the US and Canadian governments have not been able to
stop the illegal flow of "cargo" across their borders. People cross the US border
regularly and totally illegally, particularly from Mexico. Illegals come into
Canada as well, but usually disappear into the woodwork after coming on a visation
type of visa. As for the trans border shipment of non-prescription
pharmaceuticals.....
The idea of pre-checking solves a lot of problems with returning some undesirable
to their port of origin. It is more costly, but it works.
By defnition, there can be no problem between Germany
and France as they are both in the Schengen area
and have therefore abolished border controls.
The problem only exists within the EU where someone is leaving
or entering the Schengen area e.g. going to UK or Ireland from
France. I am not aware of any illegal flow of people *leaving*
the UK. The illegal migrant flow is, as far as I know, all
in the opposite direction: there's never been the equivalent
of a Sangatte in Kent where migrants would mass to attempt
to get over to France! So I don't imagine the French immigration
officers now based in the UK will have much to bother them...
Border security in Europe a "simpler problem" ?? Not if
the last few years have been anything to go by,
