EU criminals face ‘symbolic’ UK entry ban on Brexit day

EU CRIMINALS will be barred from the UK in a “symbolic” move when freedom of movement ends on Oct 31 in the event of a no-deal Brexit.

Boris Johnson will change the rules to allow UK border officials to turn away any EU criminals previously jailed for a year or more, sweeping away EU regulations that allowed any EU national entry unless they were a threat to public safety.

EU holidaymakers will still be free to come to the UK but Mr Johnson and Priti Patel, the Home Secretary, are also drawing up tougher rules on the rights of EU nationals to live and stay in the UK if they arrive after Oct 31.

A Downing Street spokeswoman said: “Freedom of movement as it currently stands will end on Oct 31 when the UK leaves the EU. So we will introduce, immediately, much tougher criminality rules for people entering the UK.

“Details of other changes immediately on Oct 31 for a new immigration system are currently being developed.”

It is not clear how border officials will be able to conduct criminal checks on arrivals from the EU as Britain is unlikely to have access to the European Criminal Records Information System (ECRIS) in the event of a no-deal exit.

The rights of the three million EU citizens who came to Britain before October 31 to apply to settle or “pre-settle” in the UK are unaffected by the proposed changes.

“EU citizens and their families still have until at least December 2020 to apply to the EU Settlement Scheme and one million people have already been granted status,” the Home Office said in a statement.