Data swap to curb illegal immigrants

IRELAND and Britain will sign an historic agreement today reinforcing their commitment to preserving the Common Travel Area (CTA), while further cracking down on illegal immigration.

The countries will sign a statement working towards joint standards for entry and ultimately enhanced electronic border systems to identify those with no right to enter the CTA (Britain, Ireland, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man) before they arrive at the border.

The two countries will agree to share information on visa applications, including fingerprint biometrics and biographical details, to improve the visa-issuing process.