Advanced Passenger Information ...

[Pickles]

I've just had an email from Eurotunnel which says that exit checks are being imposed at all UK ports and airports w.e.f 1st April, and asking for ID information on all passengers which will then be passed to UKBF.

Those travelling by ferry may receive similar requests.

[woolybanana]

Is the 1st April significant? Why wait to impose them? Hmmmm

[Théière]

I am an advanced passenger, not like those backward ones I saw last year so it's important.

3 muslim girls walk right through security to join IS and the whole thing goes mental

http://www.eurotunnel.com/uk/advance-passenger-information/

[Gardengirl]

[quote user="woolybanana"]Is the 1st April significant? Why wait to impose them? Hmmmm[/quote]

The date does sound a bit suspect, but you don't usually issue warnings about April fool activities!

It sounds as though they might at long last be planning to keep a closer eye on exits from UK, rather than just on leaving France - at Eurotunnel in our case. Thinking about it, they no longer ask us anything about our trips to France when exiting; they used to ask where we had been, a little about what we had done. Maybe we're just too predictable nowadays.

[Gardengirl]

Sorry, don't know why my posts using my ipad end up duplicated - I only press 'post' once. Nor do I know why gobbledygook appears above my posts!

[Théière]

If UKIP get kent then it's the ARRIVALS THEY'LL BE LOOKING AT.

"Once collected, this Advance Passenger Information (API) is sent

securely and encrypted to the UK Border Force and the Home Office".

Where it will then be left on a lap top at a major train station [:D]

[Pickles]

[quote user="gardengirl "][quote user="woolybanana"]Is the 1st April significant? Why wait to impose them? Hmmmm[/quote]

The date does sound a bit suspect, but you don't usually issue warnings about April fool activities!

It sounds as though they might at long last be planning to keep a closer eye on exits from UK, rather than just on leaving France - at Eurotunnel in our case. Thinking about it, they no longer ask us anything about our trips to France when exiting; they used to ask where we had been, a little about what we had done. Maybe we're just too predictable nowadays.[/quote]

Given the date referred to in the email, I double-checked before I posted.

On the last couple of returns, we have drawn attention to ourselves - once with a pile of winter tyres on a platform on the towhook (and car packed up to the gunnels), and last time with little trailer packed to the gunnels, car packed to the gunnels, and more stuff on the roof-rack. Admittedly we looked more like one of the cars that we have seen at the Mediterannean ports heading off to North Africa with overloaded trailer and overloaded roofrack, but our explanations were accepted.

If the Border Force staff do a "look at these lunatics" video for their Christmas party, I'm quite sure that our car will feature ... several times!

[Théière]

I am actually amazed that the information we put in when booking isn't automatically supplied to the requisite Gov departments already. 

[Clark Kent II]

[quote user="Théière"]I am an advanced passenger, not like those backward ones I saw last year so it's important.
3 muslim girls walk right through security to join IS and the whole thing goes mental
http://www.eurotunnel.com/uk/advance-passenger-information/
[/quote]

But the three muslim girls were actually leaving the EU not travelling within it. They flew to Turkey not to France or Italy or wherever.

The system did break down.

 

[Théière]

[quote user="Clark Kent II"]

[quote user="Théière"]I am an advanced passenger, not like those backward ones I saw last year so it's important.

3 muslim girls walk right through security to join IS and the whole thing goes mental

http://www.eurotunnel.com/uk/advance-passenger-information/

[/quote]

But the three muslim girls were actually leaving the EU not travelling within it. They flew to Turkey not to France or Italy or wherever.

The system did break down.

 [/quote]

Yes that's true but it's easy to make your way to Turkey via the EU roads. Some families have been doing it that way for years

[PaulT]

Could one alternate use of the information be for the government to establish those who spend in excess of 183 days a year out of the UK that they are no longer UK resident and hence deny those services, such as NHS, to those people?

[lindal1000]

It's in Daily Mail and the Express so it must be true! Apparently it's to check up on illegal immigration. I guess the scenario they want to avoid is people entering on a tourist visa and then overstaying. If you don't check all your exit points then you don't actually know how many people are in the country. Of course the information could be passed on to other agencies such as the NHS, but at the moment they seem to be struggling to come up with a system to link it to customs and border control, so I wouldn't hold you breath on that one.

[Théière]

Is it really, the trouble I have with understanding that, is it's migration not immigration. The French have border controls at the ports and the tunnel to check who's arriving, that's immigration.

The information I supply already is exactly what they are asking for with API:

• Name
• Surname
• Gender
• Date of birth
• Nationality
• Document type
• Document number
• Issuing state
• Expiry date

[Chancer]

But you dont supply the names and ages of any passengers, a booking is for the car and up to 9 passengers, one of which is the driver but thats another stupid story [:-))]

Take my upcoming day trip for instance, they only asked for my info, a friend will be travelling with me this time, I will check in at the automatic borne which I dont think asks how many in the vehicle, then we will pass through UK customs and they will probably be asleep, although to be fair they are more vigilant than the practically non vigilant Douanes, he will probably just flash his carte d'identité if at all, it probably wont be recorded, I could leave him on English soil or we both could remain, the vehicle may not make the return leg.

In fact this is probably the first time ever that I will be going out and coming back on a 24 hour ticket.

Now that is in the direction where they are supposed to be vigilant, the French controls in the other direction are pretty much non existant.

When my last passport expired I continued travelling back and forth on it for close to a year with passnegers also.

[Théière]

You are right Chancer! those trips with the "Secretary" to Paris, previously un recorded "Secretary" will now be on file [:-))]

There are not many Douanes at the port as they prefer inland and hammering on the van sides at 3.00am in the morning scaring the sh1te out of me.

"Did you arrive by ferry?"  Non sur la manche, That confuses them [:D]

"What is that?" (pointing at a sand filter) A Bombe! now that really puts the willies up them but they woke me up so they have to put up with me [6]

[Rabbie]

[quote user="PaulT"]Could one alternate use of the information be for the government to establish those who spend in excess of 183 days a year out of the UK that they are no longer UK resident and hence deny those services, such as NHS, to those people?[/quote]Or the opposite. Checking on those who are spending more than 183 days in the UK and so liable toUK tax

[Théière]

[quote user="Rabbie"][quote user="PaulT"]Could one alternate use of the information be for the government to establish those who spend in excess of 183 days a year out of the UK that they are no longer UK resident and hence deny those services, such as NHS, to those people?[/quote]Or the opposite. Checking on those who are spending more than 183 days in the UK and so liable toUK tax[/quote]

No not really the checks are on the way out of the UK?  Would you in any case be refused NHS care if you are a EU citizen on the reciprocal arrangement?