Common travel area
Joint response to the UKBA consultation on 'Strengthening the Common Travel Area' [October 2008]
The Refugee Council, Scottish Refugee Council and Welsh Refugee Council have submitted a joint response to the UK Border Agency’s Consultation on ‘Strengthening the Common Travel Area’. The UK proposes to introduce immigration checks on air and sea routes between the UK and the Republic of Ireland.
Our response highlights the UK’s legal obligation to ensure access to the asylum system when they intercept individuals that are in need of international protection. We advise that refugees should be able to use the Convention Travel Document and be exempt from obtaining a visa when travelling within the Common Travel Area. We further ask the UK and the Republic of Ireland to consider making refugee status and its conditions transferrable within the Common Travel Area.
