05 August 2009
At a meeting at the Home Office last Friday (25 March 2009), officials from the UK Border Agency informed representatives from the Crown Dependencies how it was envisaged that the Islands would fit into the e-Borders programme.
Further to the meeting the Ministry of Justice in the UK will be writing to the Island ’s authorities in the near future asking them to re-confirm Jersey ’s intention to participate in the programme.
The Island ’s participation in the programme will neither result in travellers’ details for all journeys between the UK and Jersey being captured nor the requirement for travellers to produce a passport at the point of departure.
All journeys outside of the UK , however, will be subject to data capture.
The plans also refer to the possibility of capturing the data of pleasure/fishing boats travelling to France .
The e-Borders programme is a further development in the UK ’s attempts to protect its border from drug smuggling, illegal immigration and terrorism. The programme has been running on a trial basis since November 2004.
At this stage it is not known when the Crown Dependencies will officially join the programme, but it is unlikely to be before 2011.
In relation to the requirement to capture the data for pleasure/fishing boats, it is not envisaged that this would be introduced until December 2014. It should be noted that it is not proposed that pleasure boat owners will be required to log their intention to travel 24 hours in advance, (though it would be possible should they want to).
Before there are any changes to the current arrangements for local boat owners, however, it is accepted by both the UK Border Agency and the Customs and Immigration Service in Jersey that discussions/consultations needs to take place between the relevant parties.
Comment from Ian Le Marquand, Home Affairs Minister: “The UK government has already been informed that the Island will participate in the e-Borders programme. If Jersey was not willing to be included in e-Borders, then its position in the Common Travel Area could be jeopardised and in all likelihood would lead to the introduction of full border controls for travel to the UK . I am determined to do my best to avoid this scenario”.
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