The number of EU citizens rejected by the UK has risen five-fold since Brexit, according to Home Office figures.
In the first three quarters of 2019, just over 2,200 people were turned away from the EU at the UK border. In the same period this year there were 11,600.
The increase shows the impact of Brexit and thus the end of freedom of movement. There are also questions about hostility on the British border.
On 1 January 2021, the freedom of EU citizens to work, live, study or retire in the UK ended as a result of Brexit.
In particular, the number of rejected Germans, French, Bulgarians and Romanians increased. To clarify: in 2019, border forces refused entry to 1,376 Romanians. In 2023 there were 5,683.
Implementing Brexit procedures in a “strict manner”
In the summer of 2021, border guards with the power to refuse entry to EU citizens were found to have applied a “heavy-handed approach,” detaining or expelling passengers, he wrote. Watchman.
A few months later, the ability to travel to the UK was further restricted. Travelers from the European Union were required to travel with a passport from October; An ID card is no longer enough.
Many passengers found the Brexit rules confusing. But they are also said to have been subjected to painful and humiliating experiences on the British border. For example, people were temporarily detained in a detention centre.
3:05British elections: Voters are fed up with Britain’s exit from the European Union
Measures are under scrutiny again
After increasing criticism of the ministry, the procedures were reconsidered and the Border Police received clarification about the various procedures.
The ministry stated that “all passengers are treated with respect.” “Border Patrol’s first priority is keeping our borders secure. We will never compromise on this.”
The Ministry emphasizes that the decision to allow a person to stay is always made on the basis of security information and never on the basis of nationality.
Ontvang meldingen bij artikelen over de Brexit
