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UK:Carrier liability extended to Eurostar

01 March 1998

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An impending immigration "crisis" leaked by "immigration sources" to the Daily Telegraph newspaper has led to carriers liability sanctions being introduced to cover Eurostar journeys between Brussels and Waterloo in London. On 8 April the Immigration (Carriers Liability) Act 1987 was extended from airlines and shipping to cover Eurostar as well. The Home Office said it was "to reduce the large numbers of inadequately documented passengers using this route over recent months." Carriers face fines of ?2,000 a person if they transport people without valid entry documents for the UK.

The story broke on 25 March fourteen days before this when the Daily Telegraph reported that: "Hundreds of bogus asylum-seekers are travelling to Britain from Belgium on Eurostar trains after being ordered to leave Europe's "open borders" Schengen area." "Immigration sources" said that more than to 900 people from Kenya, the former Yugoslavia and Sri Lanka had entered this way since the beginning of the year.

The Belgium Embassy confirmed in a letter to the Times that "illegal immigrants" had been "ordered to leave Belgium and the Schengen area within seven days or face forced repatriation." Asylum seekers had been issued with "ordre de quitter le territoire" by Belgian immigration officials.

Daily Telegraph, 25 & 26.3.98 & 8.4.98; Times, 1.4.98; Hansard written answer, 8.4.98.

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