Border Crossing Bill 'Discriminatory'

Radical new plans to introduce border checks on people crossing between Northern Ireland and the Irish Republic may be discriminatory.

As the new Borders, Citizenship and Immigration Bill went through its committee stage in the House of Lords on Wednesday there were claims it could lead to racial discrimination.

Monica McWilliams, Chief Commissioner at the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission said: "The commission is extremely concerned that the proposed land border checks could lead to racial profiling and as a result impact significantly on minority ethnic persons, crossing or just living or working near the land border.

"These measures could lead to ethnic minorities having constantly to carry identity papers or face frequent questioning regarding their status and, potentially detention."

She said the UKBA was saying on the one hand that British and Irish citizens would not have to carry passports or ID cards to cross the land border, but that anyone stopped would have to "satisfy" an immigration officer they were British or Irish citizens.

If passed, the Bill will not only end the long-standing passport-free zone between the UK and Ireland on air and sea routes but could also have more far-reaching implications for the land border.

Mrs McWilliams said: "Any practice of singling out persons visibly from a minority ethnic background is simply not acceptable."

In prcatice, for air and ferry travel between the Republic and the UK, e-borders will mean that advance passenger information will be checked against watchlists by the UK and a passport or identity document will be required.

The land border between Northern Ireland and the Republic is however so complex and frequently used that it would be utterly impractical to operate border checks on it, even if these were politically acceptable.

(BMcC/JM)