Observations

Britain's 'tourists' from Bucharest

One notable point that arises from the statistics we have analysed is the proportion of Romanians in the EU total (65%). Readers might be surprised that so many Romanians are apparently visiting the UK for a ‘holiday’, compared to other EU nationalities.

After all, Romanians only make up 4.4% of the EU27’s population...

The immigration question continues, more than five years after the Referendum

The Home Office and the Home Secretary, Priti Patel, have come in for a great deal of criticism throughout 2021 for the growth in human trafficking of illegal immigrants using inflatable dinghies between France and the south coast of England.

Facts4EU has covered this issue extensively here and here but today, due to the release of new data we are able to look at the legal points of entry and can report a firmer approach is being taken to questioning the purpose of those entering the country.

Home Office statistics are available for citizens arriving from every country in the world, but the section that is most open to change is EU nationals, as they were previously allowed entry mostly without questioning so long as they had some identity to facilitate travel.

The changes to the rules from 1 January 2021, whereby EU nationals must have appropriate documentation is now being applied by Border Control and resulting in a far greater number of people being stopped for more detailed questioning of their genuine purpose. Some are eventually allowed to proceed but others are set various conditions and others refused.

The fact that the number of EU nationals being stopped in the first three quarters of 2021 is six times those stopped in the whole of 2020 suggests a tighter control of the country’s borders is in fact beginning to happen. The up-to-date statistics for refused entry have not yet been officially published but they too show a significant four-fold increase. For this Priti Patel deserves some recognition, as do the hard-pressed staff of Border Force – many of whom have been seconded away from airports to the south coast.

Having better secured the legal means of entry the UK Government now has to step up the processes of preventing the illegal breeches taking place.

Hopefully for all those who operate properly by due legal process, only to see others flaunt it and then be given special treatment, the Government will be able to show real progress in 2022.

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