EU Commission takes the UK to court

Looks like the UKBA is not focusing on silly matters like fighting drugs and weapon smuggling,but rather concentrating on combating the real enemy, evil "benefit tourists" from the EU their family members and other "immigrants".

More here

On a lighter note here is a suggestion by one famous British TV personality on how to make things easier in Heathrow, apparently all you need is beloved

Here

docteurbenway wrote:1.Is there a chance that the UK would listen to the EC and fix the mess by 26 of June?

2.If not and they do put up a fight till the bitter end, how long are you predicting that is going to take?

Nobody here is qualified to say. It is largely a political decision for the UK as to how to proceed.

docteurbenway wrote:Looks like the UKBA is not focusing on silly matters like fighting drugs and weapon smuggling,but rather concentrating on combating the real enemy, evil "benefit tourists" from the EU their family members and other "immigrants".

More here

On a lighter note here is a suggestion by one famous British TV personality on how to make things easier in Heathrow, apparently all you need is beloved

Here

I liked it when you quoted the full URL (I could decide to read the source of not). Pros and cons - eh.

EUsmileWEallsmile wrote:... I liked it when you quoted the full URL (I could decide to read the source of not). Pros and cons - eh...

if you mouse-over the link in url form you see the full link in most of the browsers on left-down edge of the screen.

So it does. I did prefer the old way though. Instead of typing here, one could have a more descriptive title.

(I'm too old for this computer stuff!).

If you just say here or here or here then it is better to just provide the full URL

If you have a nice descriptive text, then it fine to use that as the text and have the URL hidden

My wife and i, just came back from Belfast. We originally flew from Germany to Dublin, which was easy enough, i had the Directive and all sorts of printouts with me. In Dublin the IO looked at my card, i saw he was a bit reluctant, so i said: "my wife is traveling with me, would you like our marriage certificate as well?" he was relieved and said yes. He did stamp my passport, but i let it slide.

We spent a few good days in Dublin, then rented a car and drove to Belfast, no controls at all, had a great day in the UK, visited the Titanic exhibition and drove back to Dublin.

Flew from Dublin to to Germany, there was no immigration on the way back from Dublin to Germany so no one stamped my passport out. In Germany passed a German IO and went home.

Good for you, could you update your experience in the other thread you frequent. Thanks.

http://www.immigrationboards.com/viewto ... &start=120

docteurbenway wrote:My wife and i, just came back from Belfast. We originally flew from Germany to Dublin, which was easy enough, i had the Directive and all sorts of printouts with me. In Dublin the IO looked at my card, i saw he was a bit reluctant, so i said: "my wife is traveling with me, would you like our marriage certificate as well?" he was relieved and said yes. He did stamp my passport, but i let it slide.

Do you have a German issued Residence Card?

I did this with my wife in Ireland. It was the one time we used MRAX. http://eumovement.wordpress.com/2010/08 ... to-travel/

The UK Border Agency (UKBA) - recently branded "not fit for purpose" - paid £3.5m in performance-related bonuses to staff in one year

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-18010568

Directive/2004/38/EC wrote: Do you have a German issued Residence Card?

Yes i have a German issued card of a Family Member. We did also take a bunch of print outs about the Directive and even UK EEA immigration Regulations 2006(for Belfast), but we never used them, no need.

So even though you had a RC, there was still a little problem at Dublin airport? You had to show your marriage certificate?

Directive/2004/38/EC wrote:So even though you had a RC, there was still a little problem at Dublin airport? You had to show your marriage certificate?

Well i would not call it a problem, the whole thing lasted 5 minutes at most. We exited the plane and went to the "all passports" stand.

I went first and my wife was standing by my side, i handed the IO my German Family Member card and my passport.

He looked at the card for 10 seconds or so and said "so you are married to someone in the EU?" i said "here is my wife traveling with me", at this point she gave him her EU passport so he had both now and was relaxed even smiled at us.

I said "you want the marriage certificate as well?", he said "yes cuz it doesn't say..."

He did not finish the sentence, but i gathered he wanted to say "doesn't say the name of the spouse on the card"

He smiled again and said "are you on holiday?" we said yes, he asked "how long are you planning on staying?" we said 5 days and then he stamped my passport with a green stamp that said "Temporary visitors permit, valid for 90 days, without recourse to public funds"

On the way out from Dublin to Germany there was no IOs at all so we directly boarded the plane. So i never got a stamp out to confirm that we exited within the "90 days" which i found makes the whole point of stamping in the first place useless.

Good article by the Daily Mail about the UKBA:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/artic ... ds-newsxml

Normally I would not equate good and article with daily mail. The article is generally interesting. One point though is that the soundbite (the little tiny extract from the original report) is cherry picked for effect.

Here are some good news and some bad news.

Lets start with the good Ireland and the UK are talking about a mini-Schengen between the two countries as successor to the CTA:

http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/ ... 58195.html

And now for the bad news, the EU as we know it might soon end, Greece is now being forced out of the euro, but since there is no legal way to exit the euro, one option that might do it is to use the Lisbon Treaty clause to exit the EU as a whole. Quote:

"Maria Fekter, the gaffe-prone Austrian finance minister, said there was no basis in EU law for a country leaving the single currency, but noted that the Lisbon Treaty included provision for a country departing from the EU."

More here:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/ma ... ncy-greece

Update, new interesting UKBA and visa policy article:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/global/2012/m ... on-torture

I have done my little part:

http://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/h ... from_e/new

Strictly speaking Switzerland is also not behaving, changed once they joined Schengen and now don't accept non-Shengen cards, (though they don't have to comply with the directive). Good effort though!

Richard66 wrote:I have done my little part:

http://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/h ... from_e/new

Welcome back,

cool, but still i think the whole ECJ case is inevitable, the Tory government and Ms. May are playing the anti EU card these days.

Just read this and smile:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/ ... tions.html

[quote="docteurbenway"[/quote]

Another interview from your favorite paper.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/ ... ption.html

Theresa May

Within the EU, in a wider context, people are increasingly recognising the need to prevent the abuse of free movement.

More here

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-18216538

EUsmileWEallsmile wrote:More here

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-18216538

Forget about EEA Family members, Ms. May is so ambitious she is going right for the money, restricting freedom of movement for EU citizens. Bravo, bravo.

In this new context, i am really excited about how the ECJ case on freedom of movement is going to go, since it is clear that the deadline is going to come and go with no results.

docteurbenway wrote:...Ms. May is so ambitious...

For a politician, it's all about staying in the headlines.

Hello everyone,

just checking if anyone has any news on the subject?

It has been rather quite recently.

Regards.

If you are expecting fast action, do not bother with European immigration law. Remember this is primarily governed by Directive 2004/38/EC.