One YES argument that needs to be definitively nailed is the allegation that the common travel area would continue and that there would be no passport control at the border. Not so. The SNP has indicated it will admit many more immigrants (in practice from the Third World) and will have to enter shengen if it joins the EU . A little known and unpalatable fact is that the common travel area was suspended between not only GB and Eire but between GB and NI during the war. This was because of divergences between immigration law and practice in Eire and the ease during the war with which spies could enter the UK . Until 1952 people from NI travelling to GB and vice versa had to produce a passport or special Travel permit. After the war this was an offensive requirement to the unionist people in NI -as after all you didnt need a passport to travel from any of the other Islands to the mainland-which was justified by the Labour government on the basis that it was easier to impose immigration checks on mainland ports than the long Border. The requirement was abolished by the Conservatives (whose government included Ulster Unionists) in 1952, but in 2006 the Labour government tried to resurrect such an idea which was buried in the face of much opposition . I 1953 the Republic of Ireland reformed its policies and the CTA between GB and RoI was restored. when Tony Blair came to power in 1997 the Republic of Ireland introduced passport control at Dublin airport for arrivals from the UK and random checks on coaches and trains at Dundalk-the argument was you would have to produce your UK or Irish passport to prove you were a citizen of the CTA. The England /Scotland border is traversed by a mere 21 roads and is very easy to control. rUK would therefore almost certainly introduce document checks if Scotland left .
Posted on: Thu, 11 Sep 2014 08:10:10 +0000
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