FOI release

Importance of scanning passports within EU and countries across the world by border force and Schengen borders provisions

Published 2 July 2014

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This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/importance-of-scanning-passports-in-eu-uks-participation-in-schengen-agreement/importance-of-scanning-passports-within-eu-and-countries-across-the-world-by-border-force-and-schengen-borders-provisions

FOI release 31602

  1. By scanning all passports Border Force are able to conduct thorough checks to identify criminals, prevent illegal immigration and protect the public. All new passports issued within the EU and in many countries across the world are now chip enabled. This is in line with international and EU requirements and has been introduced by several countries across the world. With the advent of new chip enabled travel documents the Border Force uses passport scanners which automatically undertake several fraud and security checks.

  2. The UK does take part in Schengen provisions relating to police and judicial co-operation in criminal matters (except hot pursuit), to narcotic drugs, and to carriers’ liability. The UK is also working to join the second generation of the Schengen Information System (SISII). However, the government has not applied to join the Schengen borders provisions, which include Schengen visas and Schengen frontier controls, and has no intention of doing so. Any extension of our Schengen participation to include Schengen borders provisions will be subject to a referendum under the terms of the EU Act 2011.
    The UK has decided to exercise its right to retain frontier controls at ports and airports because we believe that, for the UK, they are the most effective means of controlling immigration and combating organised and cross-border crime. This is particularly so given our island geography and the high volume of people travelling in and out of the UK and transiting the UK to travel to other parts of the world.

However, Schengen frontier controls do not govern the right of free movement for European Union (EU) nationals. The rights of all EU nationals to enter and live in other EU Member States are set out in legislation, Directive 2004/38/EC (‘the Free Movement Directive’) by which all Member States are bound. Under this legislation EU nationals can enter other Member States, without an entry visa or other equivalent formality, upon presentation of a valid passport or identity card indicating that the holder is an EU national.

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