Schengen opt-out could impact on Irish travellers

IRISH citizens could be left waiting in line to have their passports checked at the borders to the rest of Europe because the country has chosen to stay outside the Schengen area, EU officials have confirmed.

The European Commission has outlined a comprehensive programme to make the EU’s borders more secure to reduce the millions of illegal immigrants and cut down on criminal activity. It would include fingerprinting and screening all visitors, checking them in and out when they arrive and leave; fast-track automatic border gates for Schengen citizens; and sophisticated satellites to watch borders for illegal immigrants.

But most of it will not apply to Britain and Ireland because both have opted to stay outside Schengen and set up their own separate e-borders system. Britain has committed more than €1 billion to develop the system and Ireland hopes to link into this.