England will construct a tough new border control with Scotland Sunday April 4,2010 ENGLAND will construct a tough new border control with Scotland in a shock move to keep out unwanted migrants post-independence, it emerged yesterday. Ministers in London have warned passports would even be necessary to cross between the countries in order to keep checks on immigrants, following a demise of the United Kingdom. It comes as a result of new EU rules that would railroad an independent Scotland into an ‘open door’ policy for migrants as a proviso for joining the EU.UK NEWS
PASSPORTS TO DRIVE ACROSS SCOTS BORDER
By Derek Lambie
Revised requirements for new member states insist they must become part of the borderless ‘Schengen zone’ that allows arrivals automatic entry without border checks.
The move could see mass immigration from poorer countries, including Poland, Latvia and Estonia, into Scotland without a passport.
But Whitehall has already discussed the need for a new border at major crossing points to ensure migrants without the necessary clearance cannot enter England.
Chris Bryant, the Minister for Europe, revealed the prospect in a letter to MPs on the Scottish Affairs Select Committee.
Opposition parties at Holyrood yesterday insisted the EU rules show Alex Salmond’s plans for independence are deeply flawed.
But the SNP insisted no border controls will be necessary and accused Labour of scaremongering in a “daft election stunt”.
Ian Davidson, the Labour MP for Glasgow South West, said: “The SNP says Scotland would still have a ‘social union’ with the rest of the UK, but their plans would cut off Scotland from the rest of the UK completely.
“People would have to show their passports at Gretna to get in or out of Scotland. It is completely ridiculous.
“The reality of the SNP’s fantasy on Europe is that Scotland would have weaker border controls compared to the rest of the UK.”
Shadow Scottish Secretary David Mundell demanded the First Minister “comes clean” about all the potential impacts of independence.
He said: “A separate Scotland would have to police the border with our closest neighbour. Under the SNP, Scotland would become a ‘foreign country’, where you might have to show a passport to visit your family over the Border.
“With Alex Salmond it would be Brits out, Brussels in.”
The UK and Republic Ireland currently have control of their own border and are not part of the EU borderless Schengen area.
Under the Schengen agreement, which exists between 25 EU countries, moving from one to another within the area is done without border controls or the need to show a passport. The UK has refused to sign up, insisting the island status puts Britain in a better position to enforce immigration controls than continental European counties. Ireland also did not join the agreement in order to maintain an open border with Ulster.
However, it has now emerged that an independent Scotland would be forced to conform to the Schengen non-border area after the Lisbon Treaty made it compulsory for all future applicants to the EU. The adoption of the euro as the currency would also be automatic.
MPs on the Scottish Affairs Select Committee at Westminster were told of the requirements last week in a letter from Mr Bryant.
In his correspondence to chairman Mohammed Sarwar, Mr Bryant also warned “this would lead to the establishment of new border controls between England and Scotland”.
A new border would ensure non-UK resident migrants would be unable to cross into England without the relevant paperwork, visa or work permit.
Mr Bryant’s letter also states he believes independence would likely take Scotland out of the EU for several years and would force the country to fully adopt the Common Fisheries Policy to get back in.
But senior SNP officials yesterday insisted no border controls would be needed and said Scotland would have no problems in joining the EU.
They pointed out that continuing Scottish membership of the EU as an independent nation has been fully supported by a range of European experts and academics over the years, including the late Lord Mackenzie-Stuart, a judge on the European Court of Justice between 1973 and 1988, and president from 1984 to 1988.
Emile Noel, the first and longest serving secretary-general of the European Commission, and Eamonn Gallagher, a former EC ambassador to the UN in New York, also backed such a move.
A spokeswoman said: “Labour must be scared stiff of the SNP challenge in the General Election if they are reduced to trotting out this ancient and discredited rubbish.
“As independent members of the European Union, both Scotland and the rest of the UK would enjoy full access to the other’s markets, with open borders and freedom to travel and work throughout the EU.”
Sunday, 4 April 2010
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