So Britain no longer controls its own security. What a disgraceful admission.
A fear of "illegal immigrants", appears to have been a major "selling point" for Brexit, on the back of the refugee crisis and that they would have freedom of movement.
That doesn't seem totally accurate. If they get official travel documents, they generally don't need visas to visit other countries within the Schengen area.
This is from Latvia's official information about refugee travel documents:
"According to the Council Regulation (EC) No. 1932/2006 exemption from the visa requirement to enter another Member State of the EU, except for the United Kingdom and Ireland, but including Norway and Iceland, applies to the refugees who reside permanently in another Member State and who are holders of a travel document issued by that Member State." https://www.pmlp.gov.lv/en/home/services/passports/refugee%E2%80%99s-travel-document.htmlChecking what that regulation says:
"COUNCIL REGULATION (EC) No 1932/2006
of 21 December 2006
amending Regulation (EC) No 539/2001
listing the third countries whose na
tionals must be in possession
of visas when crossing the external borders
and those whose nationals are ex
empt from that requirement
... The United Kingdom and Ireland are not
bound by Regulation (EC) No 539/2001. They
are therefore not taking part in the adopti
on of this Regulation and are not bound by or
subject to the application thereof. "http://www.europeanmigrationlaw.eu/documents/EML_DIRECTIVE_CELEX-32006R1932_EN.pdf (p. 5)
And trying to verify if it meant what I thought it did:
"Refugees need to apply for a standard travel visa from their host country if they're not sponsored." (I selected refugee, wanting to visit UK as a "tourist".)
https://www.gov.uk/check-uk-visaOther possibilities:
"Family reunion visas for refugees
If you were separated from your partner or child when you were forced to leave your country, you can apply for them to join you in the UK.
To apply you must have been given asylum or 5 years’ humanitarian protection, and not have British citizenship."https://www.gov.uk/apply-to-come-to-the-ukSo... the idea that millions of refugees hosted by other countries could suddenly leg it to the UK without trace doesn't appear to be totally accurate.
Based on that, I'm bewildered as to how no longer being in Europol, nor having access to the Schengen Information System (SIS2), (there was a time-limited partial access in the event of a deal, which presumably falls apart in a no-deal), and no longer being part of the Galileo project is meant to meant to improve security.
How is UK-French police cooperation supposed to continue in Calais?