‘Criminals could exploit security gaps amid Brexit chaos’
FEARS the UK is heading for chaos that could be exploited by criminals have been hiked by a major report which highlights the lack of readiness for Brexit.
The National Audit Office has today sounded the alarm bell about risks at the UK border if the country leaves the EU without an agreement on March 29 next year.
It states: “The government does not have enough time to put in place all of the infrastructure, systems and people required for fully effective border operations on day one.”
The NAO warns that even if there is a deal the country faces significant challenges and flags up that “11 of 12 major projects to replace or change key border systems were at risk of not being delivered on time and to acceptable quality”.
The Welsh Government responded to the findings, saying it would be “impossible to shield Wales from the effects of exiting without a deal”.
This is the scale of the challenge:
■ Last year 205 million passengers crossed the border between the UK and the rest of the EU, not including crossing between Northern Ireland and the Republic;
■ An 8% increase in Border Force staff is planned but this follows a 7% reduction in staff numbers from 2014-15 to 2017-18;
■ Eleven out of 12 “critical” IT systems at the border are at risk of not being delivered on time and to acceptable quality;
■ The number of customs declarations HMRC has to process may jump from 55 million to 260 million if there is no deal.
The NAO report warns that “organised criminals and others are likely to be quick to exploit any perceived weaknesses or gaps”.
It states that this, “combined with the UK’s potential loss of access to EU security, law enforcement and criminal justice tools, could create security weaknesses which the government would need to address urgently”.
If the National Crime Agency loses access to shared databases the “UK’s response to crime would be more fragmented and less effective”.
Stressing the scale of the challenge, the NAO says: “Effective management of the border is critical for the UK after it leaves the EU. It is fundamentally important to our national security, economy and international reputation.”
The report also warns that a major increase in red tape could be on the way.
HMRC has estimated that “between 145,000 and 250,000 traders who have not previously done so would need to make customs declarations”.
The NAO notes that in July UK government papers stated it was “already too late to ensure that all traders were properly prepared for ‘no deal’”.
The NAO also warns HMRC has yet to come up with a new system so rollon, roll-off ferry ports – such as Holyhead – and Eurotunnel can “operate smoothly”.
If customs declarations have to be made in advance of arrival at a ferry terminal, this will be “a major business change for traders and hauliers”.
One of the biggest questions, and a key sticking point in the EU negotiations, is what will happen at the Irish border if there is no deal.
Warning that “significant changes” won’t be in place by March 29, it states: “Without the necessary infrastructure, HMRC, Border Force and others may not be able to fully enforce compliance regimes at the border on day one.”
The NAO warns this could include delays for goods crossing the border, increased opportunities for people to get away without complying with tax requirements and regulations, and less information on who is trying to cross the border.
The NAO notes that at first “Defra intends not to apply regulatory or safety checks on the majority of agricultural and food-related products and other goods arriving from the EU”.
It notes there are plans to recruit 581 staff but says the Border Force “could require around 2,000 staff to meet all requirements” if there is no deal.
It states: “Given the uncertainty, and the length of time to recruit, securityclear and train staff, Border Force acknowledges that there is therefore a significant risk that it will not deploy all the staff it plans to recruit by March 29, 2019.”
The NAO warns: “Delays in UK-EU negotiations have reduced the time available to departments to plan and implement new border regimes... [There] is now less time to make any necessary changes to systems and infrastructure, increasing the risks to effective border operations.”
Meg Hillier, the Labour MP who chairs the Committee of Public Accounts, said: “[Our] report last year on Brexit and the UK border was a stark warning to government about its complacent approach to risks to our borders from day one of Brexit. The NAO’s latest work on the UK border shows the slow progress made on preparations.
“Infrastructure at our borders will not be in place in the event of a nodeal and there is a real danger that systems will not be ready. With continued uncertainty around the negotiations, it is particularly concerning how little information government has provided to businesses so they can prepare for any outcome.
“The government must urgently work with businesses – time is fast running out.”
Meanwhile, the House of Lords’ European Union Committee is concerned the UK could lose access to “vital” EU alerts on animal and plant pest and disease threats after Brexit.
Committee chairman Lord Teverson said: “The 2001 foot-and-mouth disease outbreak in the UK led to more than six million animals being slaughtered and is estimated to have cost over £8bn. The outbreak of Dutch elm disease that began in the 1960s destroyed millions of elm trees in the