Sir, – Pam Alexander ( June 10th) is not quite correct about the rules of the Common Travel Area. There is no requirement for citizens of Ireland or the UK to show a passport when travelling between the two countries, but that exemption does not actually apply to citizens of other countries.
A few years back, after flying from London to Dublin with only her UK driving licence as identification, my wife was initially refused entry.
Eventually the garda on duty relented, but only after stressing that a driving licence does not prove citizenship, so she would be well advised to travel with her passport in future.
In other words, you should carry your passport, in order to prove that you are entitled to avail of passport-free travel! – Yours, etc,
PAT DIGNAM,
Marcus Beach,
Queensland,
Australia.
Sir, – The Common Travel Area is not as robust as Pam Alexander appears to believe.
Were the UK to leave the EU, the UK would inevitably adopt a stricter immigration policy toward EU citizens, which Ireland, still being bound by the EU treaties, would be unable to follow. To stop Ireland becoming a backdoor for EU migrants seeking to enter Britain, the British would be forced to adopt border controls, either at the land border or on sea and air routes between the islands of Ireland and Great Britain. Indeed the former of these options was proposed by the British government as little as six years ago. While a border fence might be unlikely and rather expensive, it is not beyond the realms of possibility. Nor would it be the first time in history that a previously open border was subject to immigration controls. – Yours, etc,
MICHAEL J WALSH,
Clontarf, Dublin 3.