UK border and immigration system unprepared for Brexit - report

[webfact]

UK border and immigration system unprepared for Brexit - report

 

FILE PHOTO - A Union Jack flag and a European Union flag are seen ahead of a bilateral meeting between Britain's Prime Minister and European Council President during the Eastern Partnership summit at the European Council Headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, November 24, 2017. REUTERS/Christian Hartmann

 

LONDON (Reuters) - Government delays, uncertainty and under-resourcing have left the British borders and immigration system unprepared for Brexit, according to a parliamentary report on Wednesday.

 

Lack of clarity over immigration intentions is creating anxiety for EU citizens in the UK and putting already overstretched immigration officials in an impossible position, it added.

 

"The government does not seem to appreciate the immense bureaucratic challenge they are facing or how much time and resources they need to plan on Brexit," it said.

 

The report by the House of Commons Home Affairs Committee criticised delays in publishing a so-called White Paper outlining the government's post-Brexit immigration plans.

 

Prime Minister Theresa May's office has said it is considering various options for the post-Brexit immigration system and will set out its initial plans "as and when they are ready."

 

But the committee said failure to set out immigration objectives soon will deny parliament and those affected the chance to debate plans before they are finalised.

 

"That is unacceptable," it added. "We had expected these questions to be answered in the much-delayed White Paper but its publication has been delayed further and it may not now appear until the end of this year at the earliest."

 

May has warned that European citizens arriving in Britain after Brexit next year may lose some rights, setting up a clash with the EU over their treatment during any transition period before leaving the bloc.

 

Curbing immigration was a key reason why Britons voted to leave the EU in 2016, following a large influx of EU citizens, especially from poorer countries in eastern Europe.

 

"With little more than a year to go, the government is still failing to set out crucial details on the registration of current (EU) residents," the report said.

 

Failure to set out detailed plans for the registration of foreign nationals and the transition period soon will make it impossible for immigration and border officials to do their job properly, it warned.

 

The government needed to clarify urgently whether it wants additional border checks after March 2019 when Britain leaves.

 

It should aim to agree transitional arrangements with the EU which involve no practical change to customs operations, it added.

 

"Removing border staff from security or immigration checks to do additional customs checks would be unacceptable."

 

"Government drift is putting everyone in an impossible position," said committee chair Yvette Cooper. "The lack of detail with just over a year to go is irresponsible."

 

(Reporting by Stephen Addison; Editing by Andrew MacAskill)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2018-02-14

[brewsterbudgen]

The utter shambles that is Brexit continues. What a mess.

Sent from my SM-G930F using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[dick dasterdly]

It's not that hard.

 

Anyone without a british passport has to go through the non- british line when entering the country....

[steve187]

they have 14 months left of a 2 year timetable, how much planning do they need, everyday we hear some new moan from some think tank or the other. 

 

Edited February 14, 2018 by steve187

[Proboscis]

For many decades when I lived in the UK and when I had a lot to do with the UK, I always found that the government and the authorities generally were totally unprepared for everything. Yes, they run one of the potentially best public health care systems in the world but a small amount of flu throws a spanner in the works. Leaves falling from trees in the autumn stops the trains. No project ever comes in on time (or if it does it is way over budget). So why did anyone think that Brexit was going to be any other way.

 

Besides, as it has been pointed out elsewhere, how can you prepare for something that is not yet known. No one will get what they want. The remainers will not by definition. The brexiteers want something that is impossible (full access to the EU market but pay no money and not have a problem with standards and have no oversight body/court to act as regulator which even the WTO has). The government flirts with customs union but then walks away from it.  As for the Norway model,  tell it to the Norwegian light bulb factory who suddenly lost access to EU market for their product because, not being a full member, they were not part of the standards setting body when the rules changed (if they were in the EU, they could have been able to veto it).

 

I come from a country where for half a century we traded away trade opportunities and rights for sovereignity - we accepted for 40 years that we wanted increased sovereignity and we paid for it in loss of economic growth, poverty and emigration.

 

Indeed, that could be the direction that the UK majority wants to take. But watch this space - a recent report pointed out that Brexit, in whatever form it takes, is not going to spread the economic pain evenly (even if you believe that Brexit will bring gains for some, there is no economic change that does not bring pain as well as gain). Unfortunately for many Brexiteers, according to this report, the pain is going to be felt in those places that voted overwhelmingly for Brexit.

 

 

[sammieuk1]

I wonder just how many years EU contributions this has and will cost before this debacle concludes.  

[terryw]

Maybe it is a coincidence, but the two main Government departments not ready for Brexit, the Home Office and Treasury, are both managed by Remoaners.

[rockingrobin]

1 hour ago, terryw said:

Maybe it is a coincidence, but the two main Government departments not ready for Brexit, the Home Office and Treasury, are both managed by Remoaners.

Without the immigration white paper, there is no methodology to plan. Immigration extends beyond border and ports and includes such entities as banks, employers, landlords. How is each supposed to distinguish between an EU citizen who arrived before brexit, during the transition, and after

[dunroaming]

4 hours ago, dick dasterdly said:

It's not that hard.

 

Anyone without a british passport has to go through the non- british line when entering the country....

I do wish I lived in your world Dick!

[KBsinter]

35 minutes ago, dunroaming said:

I do wish I lived in your world Dick!

If only, wishing do"s not make it so.....................lol

[Stupooey]

4 hours ago, terryw said:

Maybe it is a coincidence, but the two main Government departments not ready for Brexit, the Home Office and Treasury, are both managed by Remoaners.

Please enlighten us, which departments are ready for Brexit? Apart from the Department of Lost Causes, that is.

[SheungWan]

7 hours ago, dick dasterdly said:

It's not that hard.

Anyone without a british passport has to go through the non- british line when entering the country....

Oh yeah? And how does that play out on the Northern Ireland border? We're all ears. And Theresa May would also like to hear how you exclusively have sorted that one out.

Edited February 14, 2018 by SheungWan

[steve187]

11 hours ago, SheungWan said:

Oh yeah? And how does that play out on the Northern Ireland border? We're all ears. And Theresa May would also like to hear how you exclusively have sorted that one out.

the Irish border will have to be a hard border, with full controls, its not what the Irish want, but what is the alternative. S/Ireland will still have to let in everyone one with a scrap of paper they call id cards.

 

 if they remain part of the common travel area, then a short drive to the border will allow all to enter the UK. in the event of a lack of control of movement across the border, EU immigrants in search of UK work could enter the UK across the border unchallenged, in the event of a lack of control of movement across the border, EU immigrants in search of UK work could enter the UK across the border unchallenged.

 

Edited February 15, 2018 by steve187