Report - Guardian

92 The LSE Identity Project Report: June 2005“The principle of the Common Travel Area will be unchanged by theintroduction of identity cards. All third country nationals who havepermission to stay in the UK for more than three months, irrespectiveof their point of entry, will be required to enrol on the register at thethree-month point.” 246This position was confirmed by Home Office Minister Beverly Hughes who, in answerto a question from Sarah Teather MP, said: “The Government's proposals for identitycards do not compromise the principle of the Common Travel Area”. 247The principle of the Common Travel Area may well be unaffected by the identity cardproposals, but a number of practical issues are likely to emerge if it is to be maintainedwith Irish membership. The human rights and law reform group, JUSTICE, hasobserved:“The Government needs to address whether the Common Travel Areacan continue as a viable concept under the ID card proposals. Theproblems are technological as well as legal and ideological; relianceon the use of new equipment, who is responsible for this and whetherthey wish to be responsible are all questions that need to be consideredto make the transition a smooth one.”JUSTICE raised a number of important questions about the practicality of travel underthe current arrangements if a UK identity system was to commence. These are:(a) To what extent would the Republic be able to continue to be part of a jointimmigration area with the UK if that country relied on passport cards thatcontained electronic information that can only be read by specially installedmachines?(b) Would the UK government want to install these machines in Irish ports andairports, and would the Irish want them?(c) Would the British people be content with the fact that details on their cardscould be read outside the UK, above and beyond the biometrics currentlyenvisaged by the International Civil Aviation Authority (ICAA) and endorsedby the EU?The Irish Department of Justice has also expressed concern about the fate of theCommon Travel Area, postulating that an identity card system may need to beestablished for Ireland.Provided that the appropriate technology is in place throughout the Area, we see noreason why this step should be taken. Alternative documentation can still be used withinthe Area, as it is now, and those Irish nationals residing in the UK for more than threemonths will be able to apply for a UK identity card, as would the nationals of any othercountry.246 Hansard, Written answers, January 10, 2005, Column 305W, http://www.parliament.the-stationeryoffice.co.uk/pa/cm200405/cmhansrd/cm050110/text/50110w83.htm.247 Hansard, Written answers, January 26, 2004, Column 214W,http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200304/cmhansrd/vo040126/text/40126w51.htm.