New Threat to the Common Travel Area - The Policing and Crime Bill

The Borders, Citizenship and Immigration Bill, introduced in January 2009, threatened to introduce immigration checks on the land border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, meaning either identity checks for everyone moving between both jurisdictions, which is against the Good Friday Agreement, or racial profiling, which is illegal.  Concerted lobbying managed to preserve the Common Travel Area when the Bill became an Act in July 2009.

Now the Policing and Crime Bill, currently in the House of Lords, threatens to do the same.  Clause 97 of the current version of the Bill empowers customs and immigration officials to check travel documents of anyone entering the UK, which includes the land border between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland.

The Bill is at Report Stage in the House of Lords, to conclude on Thursday 5th November, with the Third Reading on Wednesday 11thNovember.  The Liberal Democrats have tabled an amendment to exempt the Common Travel Area, but it will need support to succeed.

Please contact members of the House of Lords to ask that they support the amendment to Clause 97 of the Policing and Crime Bill put forward by Baroness Harris of Richmond and Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer (97A*).  Contact procedures for Lords are at: http://www.parliament.uk/about/how/members/lords_contact.cfm

For a list of Northern Ireland Lords to lobby, see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Northern_Ireland_members_of_the_House_of_Lords

If you need further information, please get in touch with Michael Potter. Policy and Research Worker.   Michael@stepni.org