Channel tunnel frontier controls
01 January 1991
Channel tunnel frontier controls
bacdoc November=1991
FRONTIER CONTROLS FOR CHANNEL TUNNEL BREAKTHROUGH
COME INTO FORCE
Home Office press release 30 November 1990
On 1 December an Order will come into force applying immigration
and Prevention of Terrorism Act controls to the Channel Fixed
Link, following breakthrough in the service tunnel. The order
has been made by the Home Secretary under Section 11 of the
Channel Tunnel Act 1987.
The changes provide firstly for a limited system of police and
immigration controls at the UK end of the tunnel system in the
period between breakthrough in the service tunnel and the
commissioning of the transportation system due to take place in
January 1993. Secondly they extend to the whole of the tunnel
system (including the French part) powers to make practical
arrangements to deal with fire and other emergencies which may
arise during this period.
The Order will extend the immigration officer's existing powers
of examination, refusal, detention and removal to the Cheriton
and Shakespeare Cliff construction sites. It will also enable
the police to examine and detain people entering or leaving the
Tunnel in the same way as they do at ports and airports under the
Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) Act 1989.
Further Orders will be laid at a later date to provide the full
range of prevention of terrorism and immigration controls
required, along with any additional emergency arrangements
necessary, once the Tunnel is open for passengers in 1993.
Current Legislation
Under current legislation police and immigration officers can
exercise their frontier control functions in respect of
passengers and crew who enter or leave the United Kingdom by sea
or by air. Under present law they have no authority to examine
persons entering or leaving the UK through the Channel Tunnel or
to remove illegal entrants who have entered through the Tunnel.
NOTES
Section 11 of the Channel Tunnel Act 1987 gives Ministers a wide
range of powers to make legislative changes where deemed
necessary or expedient. The current Order, subject to the
negative resolution procedure, was laid before Parliament on 7
November, and comes into force on 1 December.
It amends the provisions of the Immigration Acts 1971 and 1988,
and the Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) Act 1989.
It also extends the application of the Fire Services Act 1947.
The Channel Tunnel (Fire Services, Immigration and Prevention of
Terrorism) Order 1990 is published on 1 December 1990. Available
from HMSO, ISBN 0 11 005227 7, Price ¼O.95.