Originally Posted by
lyncthom
We should stay away from Shengen. The CTA has worked well over the decades and I see no need to change.
If the UK agreed to fully implement Schengen [and Ireland would in a heartbeat, it's the UK's reluctance that held us back from doing so], it would effectively amount to the expansion of the CTA to include all the other Schengen member states, and not just Ireland. Or you could view it as the "merger" of the CTA with the current Schengen area.
As you say, the CTA has worked well over the decades - so why not EXPAND it?
I can't see how the average traveller would not see that as a good thing - particularly given that it would remove the need for any immigration checks for the vast majority of passengers arriving at Irish airports (given that the burden of being the gatekeeper of the "back-door" to Britain is removed for all arrivals from the majority of Europe). But although the UK apparently trusts Ireland enough to enforce its border sufficiently for their liking, they apparently are not willing to trust their European partners to the same extent.