Re: A Question Please.

But we don't have to identify when travelling from one country to another within schengen. Still we all carry identification.

Re: A Question Please.

Carrying an ID card is a Schengen requirement.

Re: A Question Please.

Not having to carry it is what makes the UK a haven for illegals. It's not even a matter of being lax. That's fine with you?

Re: A Question Please.

I’m still no wiser as to what would happen if Eire chooses to, or is forced to, eventually join the Schengen agreement.

My understanding of this, Eire obviously chose which path it wanted to follow - that of the EU. Fair enough, Eire did what is best for its country.They want to continue to have access to European markets and the development funds that have obviously transformed it in the last twenty odd years or so.

However, should things change over time and regardless of which way it comes about, and Eire eventually joins the Shengen agreement, then whether it is enshrined in the Good Friday Agreement or not, something has to change.Even during the troubles the CTA was still in situ. But... you simply cannot have a situation where a country (UK and N.I.) that is NOT in the Shengen area,, to allow an open border (as the CTA currently does for Irish and British citizens), between the North and the South of Ireland - a non-Shengen and Shengen country, which would basically allow 27 Shengen EU countries’ citizens who, being in the Shengen area, travel freely and without passports between each other’s states, the right to just walk through into a non-Shengen countries’ border - without some form of passport control. In my view, it simply cannot happen.

If Eire is a Shengen participant, there will have to be some form of a border between Northern Ireland and Eire, and as sure as the sun sets, the CTA will be dead in the water if and when that happens..
Now we have left the EU, we will be tightening our borders. The UK and Northern Ireland cannot afford to have a weak link in our Border security. It just cannot happen.

One can imagine the thought of requiring passports from those travelling between N.I. and the Republic will be met with outrage from the Irish people, but the truth is, they can’t have it both ways. The British people would be up in arms (excuse the expression) if Eire joined Schengen and the CTA was allowed to continue. We may as well kiss our Border security goodbye.

The only two solution I can ever possibly envisage is that if, as expected, , the EU goes ahead with its plan to make every EU state join Shengen, then it will have to officially exclude Eire from having to join, due to the Good Friday Agreement. Or, N.I. unites with Eire and the problem is solved.

I’m going swivel-eyed trying to figure out how it would ever work otherwise.

Re: A Question Please.

The irish opt-out of schengen is secured by a legally binding Protocol to the EU Treaties, which was negotiated as part of the Treaty of Amsterdam. That Protocol cannot be amended or repealed without the consent of the irish and their law requires another referendum before that could happen.
Assuming that would happen, a similar arrangement as per 1--1-2021 exists for goods (based on the withdrawal agreement boris signed), could also be applied to persons. Effectively other schengen citizens could move freely in northern ireland, but could not travel to britain.