MEP says Ireland should join Schengen

Ireland should join the Schengen border-free travel area if the UK introduces passport controls between the two countries, according to Gay Mitchell, a centre-right MEP and member of Ireland’s main opposition party, Fine Gael.

"If we have to show our passports going into Britain then it is more in our interest to have free travel with the other EU member states," he said.

The call has been prompted by the announcement in the UK of a new e-border scheme, designed to increase security by monitoring travellers coming into the country, which will come into operation in 2009. It is expected that the scheme will require people travelling from Ireland to show passports to comply with new security regulations. The UK authorities have not ruled this out but insist that they want to preserve the Common Travel Area (CTA) between the UK and Ireland, which has existed since Ireland separated from the UK in 1922. "We don’t want to endanger the CTA and have no intention of putting that at risk," said one diplomat.

But Bertie Ahern, the Irish prime minister, said that he expected passport controls to be introduced between the two islands. "When the British e-border system is fully developed, all air and sea passengers will require a valid passport to facilitate a journey," he told the Irish parliament last month.

The reason Ireland gave for not joining the other EU states in forming the Schengen zone in 1985 was the existence of the CTA with the UK, which would have disappeared if Ireland joined Schengen and the UK did not. Northern Ireland presents particular difficulties given that there is no physical border with the Republic and joining Schengen would have req-uired putting one in place.

But if passports are now required for those travelling from Ireland, Mitchell believes the way is open for joining Schengen.

Irish officials say that for the Republic of Ireland to join Schengen would require a border to be put up with Northern Ireland, as the idea of an all-island bid for Schengen is problematic given the political sensitivities.

Ireland should join the Schengen border-free travel area if the UK introduces passport controls between the two countries, according to Gay Mitchell, a centre-right MEP and member of Ireland’s main opposition party, Fine Gael.