ID card rollout begins

[Roland Perry]

In article <2FD3882E-4439-46F3-9F8A-748877A7505C@batten.eu.org>, Ian 
Batten <igb@batten.eu.org> writes
>It's not easy to see how, or why, the UK government can issue travel 
>documents over its own authority which permit non UK-citizens to travel 
>simply on the basis that the holder is a legal resident in the UK. 
>I'm pretty sure Schengen free-movement rules apply to citizens, not 
>residents: does a US citizen with residence rights in France have 
>automatic right of entry into Germany?

If they are married to an EEA citizen, then I think they do. It's a 
logical extension of the freedom of movement to include close family 
members.

Remembering that the cards we are discussing are issued precisely in 
order to be proof that the holder is married to a UK citizen ("has a 
marriage visa" to use the dumbed down language circulating this week).

>And if they do, it's hard to  think of a more convincing reason to 
>ensure that a party that proposed  that the UK joins Schengen will be 
>committing electoral suicide.

Why's that - is the country at risk of overflowing with Americans 
married to Frenchmen?

>There are mechanisms by which country X can issue travel documents for 
>citizens of country Y which might be acceptable in country Z, but they 
>mostly apply to refugees and stateless persons.

It's widely accepted that you can travel on a "European ID card". 
Whatever the other issues involved, it is confusing if the UK is 
proposing to issue an ID card which breaks that rule.
-- 
Roland Perry