'No Borders' and their 'Freedom of movement' camp

[sweetandsour]

Cant remember the last time someone looked at my passport, in fact I often drive from NL down to AU via BG, DE and don't even have my passport with me. Theres no point as there is nowhere to stop and show it.

PZZ

That will be because the rest of Europe agreed to a single border (Shengen agreement).

Britain didn't sign up. Eireland decided to keep their open border with the UK and so couldn't sign up either.

[The Lone Gunman]

I've never seen a straight answer to the benefits question. I suspect it is, like the tax system, complicated and illogical, but I do wonder, for example (as mentioned on here and other threads) just what is the attraction of here vs other places. The sad truth is that because the "debate" is always so ill-informed we never seem to get at the facts.

I would suggest these people know what they are talking about.
http://mobile.shelter.org.uk/get_adv...s_and_refugees
Read it and come back and giv us a precis.
Obviously, illegals are not entitled to benefits though they may be able to find a way illegaly.
Illegals then must fund themselves and many do this by taking low paid casual work thus driving down wages at the bottom end of the economy where people are least able to cope.

The attraction is often a pre existing community of your own nationals, even friends and family which provides an instant support group, a sense of home and belonging.

[VectraMan]

If you go to London on the Eurostar from Brussels you can enjoy the bizarre ritual of showing your passport to Belgian customs and then 5 metres further up, having been scanned, showing it again to British customs.

It's much the same when you take your car through the tunnel, or the ferries. Do the British and French customs really distrust each other so much?

I've found the hardest thing is getting out of Britain. Last time at the tunnel I had my steering wheel swabbed , asked where I was going, why, how long, and was I carrying any large quantities of cash.

[pzz76077]

I explained the rules within the EU in my first response to you. If you leave the EU (or visit the UK) you will then be required to present your passport, assuming you cross the borders lagaly of course.

As a for example, Ive been through 4 airports in the past few weeks (2 in the EU), no one asked 'why are you coming to this country'- just check my paspport validity and give it back to me without a word being spoken.

PZZ

[Peoplesoft bloke]

Are there really more immigrants in the UK than in other places?

I dunno - and since we abandoned exit controls in the 70s, and they don't estimate illegal numbers, niether does HMG - so how are we supposed to form an opinion without the facts?

[Mich the Tester]

I dunno - and since we abandoned exit controls in the 70s, and they don't estimate illegal numbers, niether does HMG - so how are we supposed to form an opinion without the facts?

Very few people need facts to form an opinion.

[pzz76077]

I dunno - and since we abandoned exit controls in the 70s, and they don't estimate illegal numbers, niether does HMG - so how are we supposed to form an opinion without the facts?

Isnt most of the UK population derived from immigrants that came to our shores at some point in history or another??

I seem to remember watching a BBC2 program a few years ago that DNA tested some part of Scotland and learnt that almost none of the local population were from these shores.

PZZ

[The Lone Gunman]

As a for example, Ive been through 4 airports in the past few weeks (2 in the EU), no one asked 'why are you coming to this country'- just check my paspport validity and give it back to me without a word being spoken.

PZZ

You seem to want to stretch this to the point of pedentry.
The EU allows freedom of movement for its citizens within its borders unmolested. If you are an EU citizen there is no explanation required, in fact it is possibly against EU rules to ask for one.
You have to provide proof of ID to fly.

[VectraMan]

I dunno - and since we abandoned exit controls in the 70s, and they don't estimate illegal numbers, niether does HMG - so how are we supposed to form an opinion without the facts?

Surely we know how many there are because they're all claiming generous benefits, apparently.

The real illegals, the ones that manage to hang onto the bottom of a Eurostar, can't be claiming benefits because then they'd be found out.

[Mich the Tester]

Surely we know how many there are because they're all claiming generous benefits, apparently.

The real illegals, the ones that manage to hang onto the bottom of a Eurostar, can't be claiming benefits because then they'd be found out.

Why would anyone cling to the bottom of a high speed train when they can get in a small boat and arrive on a deserted beach undetected?