THE Northern Ireland secretary James Brokenshire has said Irish borders will be strengthened to control immigration to Britain.
In an attempt to avoid a "hard border" the British Government is concentrating on strengthening Ireland's ports and airports after Brexit to avoid illegal migration to Britain.
Mr Brokenshire said there was a "high level of collaboration on a joint programme of work" between the Ireland and Britain on the matter.
The Northern Ireland secretary made the comments in an interview with The Guardian.
"We have put in place a range of measures to further combat illegal migration working closely with the Irish Government,” he said.
“Our focus is to strengthen the external border of the Common Travel Area, building on the strong collaboration with our Irish partners,” Mr Brokenshire added.
Mr Brokenshire added that that the British Government were trying to prevent people from evading British immigration controls by entering from the Common Travel Area.
“We are already working closely with the Irish Government and other members of the Common Travel Area to prevent people from seeking to evade British immigration controls from entering via another part of the CTA," he said.
"There is a high level of collaboration on a joint programme of work," he added.
Mr Brokenshire added that strengthening Irish borders would include a digital intelligence approach.
"This includes investment in border procedures; increased data sharing to inform immigration and border security decisions; passenger data systems enabling the collection and processing of advance passenger information; and harmonised visa processes,” the Northern Ireland secretary told The Guardian.
He also insisted that he did not even want to see customs checks on the border when Britain triggers article 50 and finally leaves the EU.
“The open border for people and businesses has served us well and no one wants to see a return to the borders of the past.
"It is a high priority for the government that we do not see border controls coming into place. There is a very strong commitment from the Irish Government as well as ourselves to see that that does not happen.”
The Irish Department for Foreign Affairs said it is paramount of both the British and Irish Government to maintain the Common Travel Area.
"A key objective of the UK and Irish Governments with regard to Brexit is the preservation of the Common Travel Area, including in regard to the land border with Northern Ireland," a spokesman said.
"Officials from the two Governments are in constant contact, and the Department of Justice and the Home Office work closely together on the protection of the Common Travel Area, including the maintenance of its external perimeter.
"Discussions regarding the potential impact on immigration matters post-Brexit are ongoing, as part of this process of cooperation."
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