---

UK Borders Bill

Since nearly the whole Bill extends to Northern Ireland, I would like to say something about that jurisdiction. Earlier today there was an informal meeting in Parliament with the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland and several noble Lords whose full-time homes are in Northern Ireland. They made the following observation. No checks of any kind, let alone biometric checks, are made at the land crossings between Northern Ireland and the Republic. Given that we have a common travel area with the Republic of Ireland, I hope that the Home Office will look at this. In light of the Statement that has been mentioned, perhaps it will consider this issue from a security point of view. The border could provide a loophole for non-EU nationals to enter the United Kingdom, particularly given the length of the coastline not only in Northern Ireland, but also in the Republic.