In the first six months after Brexit, more than 60 per cent of EU citizens screened at Britain’s maritime border were Romanians. According to government statistics, 7,249 people were stopped on Eurotunnel and Eurostar cruises in six months, five times more than last year. Experts say the percentage of citizens examined may indicate ethnic discrimination, the Guardian wrote.
Among the border crossings are 4,482 Romanian citizens, 600 Bulgarians and 400 Poles. However, far fewer people from the northern union countries were stopped. Only 5 Danish, 59 Belgian and 144 French crossings were examined.
According to an analysis by the law firm Bates Wells, a disproportionately large number of Romanian citizens have been screened, saying the government’s statistics raise suspicion of discrimination.
“It is legitimate to maintain public checks at the border, but recent data suggests there may be an ulterior motive behind the checks. … These checks can be distressing for travelers, and oftentimes they target innocent officials,” said Sheetal Patel, partner at Bates Wells. : “This is racial discrimination that should be eliminated immediately if you hit your head somewhere.”
The most conceivable explanation might be that a large number of Roman citizens applied for British settlement status. With over a million entries, they were the second most populous group. This could justify the increased number of inspections, but no similar trend was observed for the Poles who preceded them. There is no official data on air traffic in the first half of the year, so it is not known what the percentage of expatriate nationalities is in general. (via Watchman)
Article by Leonard Lilly.
