I have already urged the hon. Gentleman to think this through. First, we cannot operate in isolation from other countries. We cannot say to the Americans, "We want all your information, but we will not give you any of ours"; it does not work like that. Secondly, if one is keeping a register of people entering and leaving the country, one has to count the British people who are leaving as well, in order to identify where there may be false or fraudulent use of documents, for example, or dual citizenship, or a plethora of other such eventualities. In addition, there are the benefits in terms of crime and security; that point has already been made. Already, 2,900 people have been arrested as a result of e-borders, many of them for serious crimes including murder and rape, simply because we have that counting in and counting out system.
Borders, Citizenship and Immigration Bill [Lords]
Proceeding contribution from
Phil Woolas
(Labour)
in the House of Commons on Tuesday, 2 June 2009.
It occurred during Debate on bills on Borders, Citizenship and Immigration Bill [Lords].
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2008-09Chamber / Committee
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