Or we could just join Schengen. 25 other european countries have.
Agreed. Why haven't we joined? Is it the British paranoia?
Or we could just join Schengen. 25 other european countries have.
Agreed. Why haven;t we joined? Is it the British paranoia?
Agreed. Why haven't we joined? Is it the British paranoia?
And can our internal security track down people who are not legally meant to be here and then repatriate them ?
I didn't think an expired passport was a problem in the EU generally (bar certain airlines that would choose not to for their own reasons) and certainly not when coming back to your own country.
There were very thorough passport examinations yesterday by UK Border police at Calais for Eurotunnel (but the French didn't check anything at all, just waved people through).
UK Border Police were out in force at St Pancras, harrassing passengers who had already been through passport control in Brussels/Lille.
Exactly what does all this Eurostar UK border checking actually achieve ? Just how many people are 'caught' this way ?
Is having these fortified crossing points at St Pancras, Brussels, Lille elsewhere together with staff who 'hassle' passengers the most cost effective way of managing unwanted visitors to our country ?
I also hear that passenger lists are maintained, so the UK authorities can count us in and count us out. Did some minister get that idea from the Brian Hanrahan Falklands biog ? And again, what exactly does that achieve ? It makes our country sound like a school with headmistress keeping a register !
Eurostar is a train service to our neighbour countries, not an alien spacecraft carrying wierdos who have to be 'quarantined'.
I despair....
The fact remains that most of the illegals either come in on tourist visas, student visas, or forged EU documents anyway, so will probably not be picked up by these checks at all.
I also hear that passenger lists are maintained, so the UK authorities can count us in and count us out. Did some minister get that idea from the Brian Hanrahan Falklands biog ? And again, what exactly does that achieve ? It makes our country sound like a school with headmistress keeping a register !
....
I doubt it ever will be partly because of the cost of it and partly because of the EU complaining about it. And the travel operators aren't happy either.
If people are that keen to come to the UK, be interesting to see how many arrive here illegally on boats arriving at unchecked beaches or coves. We are only 22 miles from France. We're hardly an island in the mid Atlantic.
It's to do with the e-Borders thing created by the last Govt, and it's not even fully implemented. I doubt it ever will be partly because of the cost of it and partly because of the EU complaining about it. And the travel operators aren't happy either.
.
I don't think they are any worse than the Americans.
Yes. Eurostar were to run as a regional service, but it never materialised. It was a government idea. To give the impression the Channel Tunnel was a benefit for the whole of the UK, some Eurostar would begin in Glasgow and Manchester. Someone here can tell us why the regional service never started. Not quite sure myself.
The only additional Eurostar duties beyond the original plan are the Ski Train service and the Saturday service to Aviginon. Neither of which appear to have benefit the UK regions.
Some honesty and vision would have saved millions:
Build the HS1 at the same time Channel Tunnel. Both ready in 1994.
In the early 90s, give (now ex) BR the remit to develop through fares from regions for services into Euston/St Pancras/Kings Cross so passenger could continue by Eurostar
Build a standard fleet of European gauge Eurostars. None of the regional red herrings
Give UK Border Agency the task of finding ways to accommodate passengers on Eurostars running beyond Brussels to Amsterdam/Cologne.
a very good point here! how many centimeters between widths of E*and TGV's? not more 5 I think !quite ridiculous!I have lot of love and admiration for british people but sometimes he put me out of my bounds
cheers!
whilst I have missed E*s at Brussels before, that's because the ICE from Cologne was so late it arrived after E* had departed.This happened to me, but with a better result.
Thalys from Cologne to Brussels was late. So we had 15 mins to cross Brussels. What made me cross was both passport officials and eurostar staff did not know about our late inbound Thalys. As I threw myself through ticket control and passport, told staff I was probably the first passenger off the delayed Thalys and there would be others behind running me !
Brussels Midi is far from the show piece hub station RailTeam would like you to think. And I gather, they still haven't re-opened the eurostar-Thalys cross platform short cut.
Wasn't the train hurtling across the Kent? countryside in Mission Impossible I a TGV?
Yep. Nice man from Eurostar Public relations was told the plot of the film and put a total veto/embargo on any filming with a Eurostar involvement. Fly a helichopper through the tunnel? 'uck off!
Yep. Nice man from Eurostar Public relations was told the plot of the film and put a total veto/embargo on any filming with a Eurostar involvement. Fly a helichopper through the tunnel? 'uck off!