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UK police “will be increasingly unable to cope” in the event of a no-deal Brexit because existing data-sharing agreements with the EU will be cut, said a former independent reviewer of terrorism law.
David Anderson is one of the important figures who are increasingly concerned that the failure to achieve a Brexit deal could have a serious impact on Britain’s ability to fight cross-border crime, as talks between the The UK and the EU were stagnant for the fifth day in a row on Tuesday.
“Without the ability to exchange data and intelligence across borders, law enforcement will be increasingly unable to cope,” said the multi-level partner. “Everything from extradition to alert notification to crime scene matches and criminal record searches will be much slower, at best.”
Anderson’s warning comes a day after former Prime Minister Theresa May openly mocked Cabinet Office Minister Michael Gove in the Commons after he claimed border security could be better in the event of a no-Brexit. agreement.
The growing stalemate in the London-Brussels negotiations has raised the possibility that no agreement will be reached on security and law enforcement cooperation because it is linked to the overall agreement.
Without a deal, the UK would lose real-time access to the EU’s databases of criminal records, arrest warrants and passenger information, dramatically slowing down investigations, Anderson said.
Currently, UK police can obtain fingerprints and DNA information from their EU counterparts in 15 minutes using the Prüm system. Before its introduction, Met police said it “used to take four months” to receive the same information.
Border officials in Dover and elsewhere have real-time access to systems that allow officials to immediately arrest someone wanted in an EU country. Experts have said that it is unclear what would replace this.
Peter Ricketts, a former national security adviser, told The Guardian: “The police would be trying to solve crime in a fast-moving world with one hand tied behind their back.” Resorting to pre-EU agreements was not feasible in a world where population movements had increased rapidly, the pair of several banks said.
British police checks through the European Criminal Record Information System are instantaneous. Similar checks through alternative systems would take, on average, 66 days, according to evidence provided by the Met to a committee of Lords earlier this year.
Anderson called on both the UK and the EU “to mitigate the damage where possible, and that means putting operational concerns before ideology.” He said he hoped that at some point “mutual self-interest” would kick in and that at least a safety agreement would be reached.
The Labor Party also called on both sides to reach a security agreement, arguing that cooperation with the EU is needed to combat terrorism, human trafficking and drug trafficking. “Government negotiations should provide certainty to the UK police and security services,” said Conor McGinn, the shadow security minister.
Earlier Tuesday, Michel Barnier accused Downing Street of wasting precious time after a 30-minute phone call in the afternoon with David Frost, the UK’s lead negotiator.
Barnier hinted at frustration in Brussels over the continued suspension of the talks. “My message: we should make the most of the little time left,” tweeted the EU’s chief negotiator. “Our door remains open.”
Clément Beaune, France’s European Affairs minister, told the country’s National Assembly that there would be “no new approach” to the EU. He said: “It’s up to them to tell us now, beyond tactics, if they want to keep negotiating. We are ready for it. “
Boris Johnson has insisted since Friday, when the government declared that the talks were indeed over, that the EU must show its willingness to advance its negotiating positions before he is willing to re-engage with the Brussels negotiators.
Downing Street said Tuesday’s call with Barnier had yet to reach the government’s threshold of a “fundamental change” in the EU’s approach to the talks. A spokesman said: “Lord Frost and Michel Barnier had a constructive discussion. The situation remained as yesterday and they will continue in contact ”.
However, senior EU diplomats in Brussels remain confident that the deadlock will be broken in a few days, given the EU’s apparent willingness to comply with Downing Street’s calls for a more flexible approach. EU leaders held a two-hour debate last Friday at the end of a summit, during which room for maneuver was found within the bloc’s red lines.
Johnson told business leaders on Tuesday, in a conference call that one described as “totally disappointing,” that companies may have been “terribly busy with Covid,” but that they must now “hurry up” and prepare for the end of the Brexit transition on December 31. .
He insisted that the UK would prosper outside the EU and told them: “Rien ne va plus”, which a dealer calls to say “no more bets”.
The business leader said: “There was a surprising lack of detail when pressed about the transition and how it could work. It’s a desperate situation. “
The House of Lords also voted 395 to 169 to express disapproval of the controversial domestic market bill that allows the government to violate international law by overwriting parts of the Brexit withdrawal agreement.
The rebel majority was 226 and a total of 39 conservatives voted against the government.
More votes are scheduled in the coming weeks as the Lords consider the legislation in detail, but it highlights the small hope Downing Street has that the bill will pass by parliament with the contentious clauses intact.
