Trouble-free entry for immigrants and terrorists?

phatbear

NFH wrote: »

They don't have to walk through customs; they walk through the blue channel, which has no customs controls. The only checks carried out on those passing through the blue channel are to verify eligibility to use the blue channel.

The European Union is a customs union. There are no routine customs controls between EU member states (except for parts of the EU that are outside the EU VAT area).

sorry but you are wrong i would like to direct you to article 36 of the treaty of rome which gives us the right to enforce restrictions between member states:

http://www.eurotreaties.com/rometreaty.pdf

and sect 78 of customs and excise management act

http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1979/2

and if these abilities to enforce such restrictions didnt exsist how do you explain:

http://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/Smuggler-caught-5k-drug/story-26518705-detail/story.html

drug smuggler caught arriving from Malaga

http://www.itv.com/news/meridian/topic/drug-smuggling/

france

http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/st-helens-lorry-driver-caught-8953287

france again

phatbear

http://www.hertsandessexobserver.co.uk/Jail-Stansted-Airport-drug-smuggler/story-21902759-detail/story.html

spain again

http://www.uk-airport-news.info/stansted-airport-news-240412.html

spain again

http://www.watfordobserver.co.uk/news/9565347.print/

and again

NFH

eDicky wrote: »

This afternoon I walked through the blue channel at Stansted, having been directed there by an officer outside the entrances to the blue and green channels who asked me where I was arriving from (Germany). So the several officers who were stationed inside the blue channel were not there just to check eligibility to use the blue channel, they were ready to stop and perform a customs check on any suitable candidate. They are not always there, but this is customs control, is it not?

They are indeed there to check eligibility to use the blue channel. Nothing you have said suggests otherwise.

NFH

phatbear wrote: »

sorry but you are wrong i would like to direct you to article 36 of the treaty of rome which gives us the right to enforce restrictions between member states:

http://www.eurotreaties.com/rometreaty.pdf

and sect 78 of customs and excise management act

http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1979/2

I don't see the relevance of Section 78 of the Customs and Excise Management Act 1979 to your argument. Subsection 1B states clearly "Subsection (1) above does not apply to a person entering the United Kingdom from another member State".

There are no routine customs controls between EU member states. That is the purpose of the blue channel. The only reason for the blue channel is because airports nearly always cater for incoming flights from both EU and non-EU states. Blue channels don't exist where the point of entry to an EU member state is directly from another EU member state, e.g. border crossings, as there is simply a lack of customs controls.

phatbear

NFH wrote: »

I don't see the relevance of Section 78 of the Customs and Excise Management Act 1979 to your argument. Subsection 1B states clearly "Subsection (1) above does not apply to a person entering the United Kingdom from another member State".

There are no routine customs controls between EU member states. That is the purpose of the blue channel. The only reason for the blue channel is because airports nearly always cater for incoming flights from both EU and non-EU states. Blue channels don't exist where the point of entry to an EU member state is directly from another EU member state, e.g. border crossings, as there is simply a lack of customs controls.

Sect 78 cema 79 subsection 1B relates to the importation of dutyable goods from non member states hence the

"exemption from duty and tax by virtue of any order under section 13 of the M1Customs and Excise Duties (General Reliefs) Act 1979 (personal reliefs)"

However subsection two states

"(2)Any person entering or leaving the United Kingdom shall answer such questions as the proper officer may put to him with respect to his baggage and any thing contained therein or carried with him, and shall, if required by the proper officer, produce that baggage and any such thing for examination at such place as the Commissioners may direct."

If your theory were correct there would be no customs officers present if only eu flights were in the baggage hall? And if this is the case how did all the cases i previously cited of pax arriving from spain etc occur?

phatbear

And one more point, if arrivals from ireland aren't subject to customs control why dont they arrive as domestic flights which in the instance of stn would mean, as previously stated, using baggage belt 5 which is at the far end of the airport by outbound security

NFH

I maintain that there are no routine customs controls when travelling between EU member states.

http://ec.europa.eu/taxation_customs/customs/customs_controls/baggage_controls/index_en.htm

"Are you taking an intra-EU flight? (Ex: Dublin - Warsaw) Your baggage is not subject to any customs control on your arrival in Warsaw (Note 2) You leave the airport by the exit reserved for intra-EU travellers."

Customs officers are often involved in non-customs duties. For example, in airports in France and Italy customs officers carry out security controls for departing passengers, something that is carried out by low-paid private staff in UK airports. In UK airports, customs officers carry out law enforcement duties relating to unlawful possession of drugs and firearms. None of these duties are customs controls; the EU is a customs union.

phatbear

NFH wrote: »

I maintain that there are no routine customs controls when travelling between EU member states.

http://ec.europa.eu/taxation_customs/customs/customs_controls/baggage_controls/index_en.htm

"Are you taking an intra-EU flight? (Ex: Dublin - Warsaw) Your baggage is not subject to any customs control on your arrival in Warsaw (Note 2) You leave the airport by the exit reserved for intra-EU travellers."

Customs officers are often involved in non-customs duties. For example, in airports in France and Italy customs officers carry out security controls for departing passengers, something that is carried out by low-paid private staff in UK airports. In UK airports, customs officers carry out law enforcement duties relating to unlawful possession of drugs and firearms. None of these duties are customs controls; the EU is a customs union.

this is a wind up right?

customs officers at uk airports do not deal with passengers for unlawful possession of drugs

we deal with passengers for importation/exportation of drugs, misuse of drugs act 1971 sect 3.

phatbear

so please explain to me, as previously asked, why dont flights like dublin flights arrive in domestics as, according to you, they are not subject to immigration control, which is correct as they are CTA, and customs control?

phatbear

and finally as previously stated:

Treaty Establishing the European Community
(as amended by the Amsterdam Treaty)
PART THREE
COMMUNITY POLICIES
TITLE I
FREE MOVEMENT OF GOODS
…
CHAPTER 2
PROHIBITION OF QUANTITATIVE RESTRICTIONS BETWEEN MEMBER STATES
Article 28
Quantitative restrictions on imports and all measures having equivalent effect
shall be prohibited between Member States.
Article 29
Quantitative restrictions on exports, and all measures having equivalent effect,
shall be prohibited between Member States.
Article 30
The provisions of Articles 28 and 29 shall not preclude prohibitions or
restrictions on imports, exports or goods in transit justified on grounds of public
morality, public policy or public security; the protection of health and life of
humans, animals or plants; the protection of national treasures possessing
artistic, historic or archaeological value; or the protection of industrial and
commercial property. Such prohibitions or restrictions shall not, however,
constitute a means of arbitrary discrimination or a disguised restriction on trade between Member States.

please feel free to argue with EU law, oh and UK law (CEMA 79, MDA 71). maybe you should email your local MP and highlight how YOU feel the above laws are incorrect and should be changed post haste.