Written evidence submitted by Mr Alan Jones (FRE0022)

 

 

Introduction

 

The 180daysvisa-free.org is a collection of individuals who are campaigning about the impact of the Schengen 90/180-day rule that is due to come into force for UK citizens at the end of Transition.  The 90/180-day rule will adversely affect more than 250,000 families who have a second homes in the EU or travel extensively in the EU. 

One of our campaigners has been in correspondence for much of 2019, via his MP, about the impact of the Schengen 90/180 rule on second home owners with former ministers Walker and Duddridge. On May 21, they received a letter sent by Foreign and Commonwealth Office minister Wendy Morton MP. Letter reference MC2020/06485 link: https://bit.ly/180days-WM-06485-pdf.

The letter included the statement:

“I appreciate that the application of these rules for UK nationals will impact on travel arrangements after the end of the transition period, including for those who own second properties in the Schengen area.”

 

Our Analysis

The government has belatedly recognised that there is a problem but there is no credible evidence that it is it willing to do anything about it.

 

We carried out a detailed review of the letter.  The minister claims this matter is being addressed but we find no public document to support this claim. In the last paragraph the present minster repurposes their predecessor’s comments to say they apply to travel within the Schengen limit. This would imply that her predecessors repeatedly misled the constituent. We find this paragraph troubling.  Our assessment is contained in the link: https://bit.ly/180days-WM-06485

 

Our Analysis

We request that the Committee on the Future Relationship with the European Union examine the following:

  1. Why was it that the Home Office, in a bill about a points-based work-related immigration system, included travel arrangements for EU citizen visiting the UK as tourists and thus prejudiced the UK bargaining position on tourist travel rights.
  2. Was there any assessment of the equivalence of the implicit UK offer to the EU of 180days visa-free tourist travel with the restrictive Schengen 90/180 rule that comes into force for UK citizens after December 2020. 
  3. What are the government plans to address the issue that will have life-changing impact on more than 250,000 families?

 

We have created a document that sets out the issue with the Schengen 90/180-day rule: https://bit.ly/180days-briefing-doc

 

 

 

May 2020