[Bucksnet]

The illegal immigrants in the know buy a Eurostar ticket from Brussels to Lille, but don’t get off. Passports are not checked in London of course, but they are not checked in Brussels either because the ticket holder is supposed to be going to another Schengen Zone country.

No real checks are made so endless numbers of people can simply turn up at St. Pancras without showing any form of ID to anyone, not that a lot of them have got any to start with.

The Belgium government is more than happy for this arrangement to continue as it helps reduce the serious crime problems that Brussels is now experiencing to due mass third world immigration.

[DisgustedofSwieqi]

Bucksnet

I think you need to read the report, which I now have done.

What you say may be right, in terms of how they physically arrived, but the report makes it clear that they were incentivised by UK policy.

The last time I used Eurostar from Brussels (and I did use it heavily in 2003-2005), all pax on the train had to clear UK immigration before boarding.

[Capetonian]

Another convincing argument for the abolition of the Schengen agreement, and perhaps with todays news of what has happened in Liege, even the Belgians will wake up to the dangers of this madness. I know the perpetrator of this atrocity was a Belgian resident but perhaps without the open borders he wouldn’t have been there.

[Bucksnet]

They are incentivised by UK policy, but also by EU policy. The EU are more than happy to dump their problems on us, this is being done on purpose and we need to wake up to that fact.

With around half of all new born babies in Belguim now being muslim, it is no surprise to me that they are getting attacks like Liege.

[KeaneJohn]

My mother used to work in the Immigration Office before it became UKBA and the cruise lines would fly an immigration officer to last point of call to join the ship to carry out document checks en route to Southampton and avoid delays on arrival in Southampton. Also used to be the same on cross channel ferries into Poole, Weymouth, Southampton and Portsmouth. I kniow the latter doesn’t happen now but not sure if clearance is still done en route to Southampton.

[Binman62]

Bucksnet

Your suggestion that Muslims = terrorist is frankly beneath contempt.

What is wrong with this country, when did the English become this narrow minded, xenophobic little Englanders who live in the 1940’s with sound of Vera Lynn and barking bull dogs, listening to Churchill’s speeches.
Wake up, the war ended almost 70 years ago and the world cup was last won almost 50 years ago! Time to join the 21st century and behave like civilised members of the world rather than harridans living on past glory.
The country has a very proud history in many ways and equally shameful history in many others. Above all however the English are without doubt the most arrogant people on earth with sadly not the intelligence to support such a position.
The news report that UK immigration staff came close to being arrested in Belgium when demanding the travel papers of those travelling from Brussels to Lille was outrageous in so far has the UK staff had the gall to try and subject non UK nationals going about their lawful business to their interrogation. How dare they, or for that matter we, behave in this way in someone else’s country. These public servants were not acting in my name!
If our borders are so precious then impose proper scrutiny in this country.
Travel is supposed to broaden the mind but I suppose coming from a nation that takes it own tea and brown sauce with them wherever they go, it is probably not surprising that that narrow minded bigotry exists in spades here. Many of the English are indeed “Islelaffe”

[DisgustedofSwieqi]

I have just read the various news stories about the ‘Lille Loophole’ and once again am amazed.

Recently, UKBA no longer pre-check passports at Marne La Vallee (Disneyland) and they now check them on arrival at London (source Eurostart advisory to travel agents.)

If the ‘Lille Loophole’ is true (and it did not seem to be in 2005, as I visited Lille for a day en the way to London and had my passport checked in Brussels (also, UKBA would sometimes check docs on board in those days), then checking at London would be the absolute cure.

See http://www.eurostar4agents.com/toolbox/news/index.htm post on 11/11/11.

Once again, the reality here does seem to be UK lack of will.

[Bucksnet]

Binman, in no way am I suggesting that muslim = terrorist. Belgium however, with an immigrant population that seemingly cannot be controlled, and with roughly half of new born babies being muslim, will change beyond recognition within 20 years.

You refer to England in the 1940s. Well back then total crimes were well under half a million, compared to 9 and half million today; a 20 fold increase. The war aside, it was a much better place to live. And I am not a little Englander. Maybe you should read ‘England our England – A Nation in Jeopardy.’

I would say that the most arrogant people on earth are the Germans, and a German friend agrees with that.

The UK has a right, like all sovereign states should have, to defend its borders. We already have around 2 million illegal immigrants in the country at the moment, with little political will simply to enforce the law, and EU rules are flooding us with more.

THIS IS BEING DONE ON PURPOSE!!! Wake up you dumb f**k!

[Capetonian]

Binman : If you are going to start slinging pejorative terms around, at least get them right:
“Many of the English are indeed “Islelaffe”
It’s INSELAFFEN.

[DisgustedofSwieqi]

Bucksnet

One thing I can’t work out.

If the UK has a right to check passports before admitting people (this is clear) and has an available mechanism in use (check at St Pancras) and there is a problem with this alleged ‘Lille Loophole’, then why is the remedy not being applied?

The UP prime minister just stood up to the EU and vetoed the treaty amendments (I don’t know enough to really understand the rights and wrongs of the issues, but admire Cameron for his cojones in taking a stand), that is a really big deal, that opens the UK up to recriminations and consequences, but changing the passport checks is easy…….

Please, no more comments (from anyone, this is not aimed at you Bucksnet) about the evils of Schengen, if the UK is de facto making itself part of the zone.

[Capetonian]

I also admire Cameron for taking a stand against the Brussels dictatorship, but like DoS, I can’t comment on the implications. I suspect in any case he will back down,

I enter the UK quite often, from Schengen and non-Schengen countries, by air, ferry, and Eurostar and I cannot recall a single time when my passport was not checked at some point, so to say that the UIK is ‘de facto making itself part of the zone’ is nonsense.

I have travelled from Brussels to St. Pancras via Lille, I have a feeling my passport was checked before boarding at Brusells, but checked it was.

Somehow, I can’t believe that the ‘Lille Loophole’ really exists, it would be far too blatant.

[MartynSinclair]

I wonder if the “Lille loophole” was reversed and there was a “St Pancras boot” where ilegals could be sent packing before they stepped foot into a UK benefits office, whether these pages would be filled with critisism or praise.

DoS, Schengen, Brusselcrats and Cameron / UKBA are all the elements in a very unstable compound!

[Bucksnet]

Disgusted, the ‘remedy is not being applied’ because what is happening is planned, it’s being done on purpose. The UK should have a right to check the ID of all persons entering, but if Brussels is stopping UKBA officers and threatening them with arrest, and our weak government simply back down, then there is nothing they can do about it.

I don’t admire Cameron at all as he is Common Purpose. His ‘wielding the veto’ on a new EU treaty is probably just for show and to get some support from backbench MPs. Its probably part of some plan to do the UK harm, and he will back down at some point in the future.

I am tempted to test the Lille Loophole for myself. I could buy a return from London to Brussels, and on the way back buy a ticket to Lille. I could pay cash and use a false name as no ID should be required, in fact a name might not even be asked for. I will then attempt to board the train using my Lille ticket, and no one should challenge me for my ID. It would be interesting to see what happens, and I will post my experiences if I ever do it.

[craigwatson]

Bucksnet – “but if Brussels is stopping UKBA officers and threatening them with arrest, and our weak government simply back down, then there is nothing they can do about it” and they should be stopping them from screening brussels to lille bound passengers.

the UK should have passport control at St. Pancrass.

Your approach would then be the same as having UKBA officers screening everyone at say new orleans bound for atlanta, just beacuse 1 or 2 may be connecting on to the UK.

[MartynSinclair]

Perhaps Brussels should respect the fact that UK is not part of Schengen and implement correct screening procedures instead of sitting on the beaurocratic bums and ignoring the problem.

G-d forbid the Brussels chaps treated the passengers on their way to New Orleans in the same manner.

[Author]

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