Taking charge of the UK's borders

For a long time we had the phrase “Brexit means Brexit”. It was powerful in its simplicity, but became disconcerting in its lack of detail. Then Theresa May, both in a long speech and in Parliament, provided that detail, fleshing out the substantive elements of Britain’s departure from the European Union. A slavish devotion to neither the single market nor the customs union would stand between this country and full sovereign control of its own borders and laws.

Now we are seeing the first practical implementation of that policy. Taking back control of British borders inevitably means new EU migrants no longer having automatic right to remain permanently in this country. But from when? Much sooner than expected, it seems. Not at the end of the two-year negotiation period that will follow the triggering of Article 50 next month, but at the very moment it is triggered, in little more than a fortnight perhaps.

This is both legal – as the implementation of the new controls will only take effect after Brexit – and sensible, as waiting two years might encourage a large number of immigrants from poorer parts of the EU. For those who once hinted darkly that the Government under Mrs May, who voted to Remain, was dithering, or that “Brexit means Brexit” was a formulation that disguised a vacuum, it is a significant turnaround. Instead of deploring her hesitancy, they must celebrate her decisiveness about one of the principal drivers of discontent with our membership of the EU.    

But there are also questions. Are British border forces up to the task of monitoring and recording who arrives before – and after – the cut-off date? Will we see an influx in the coming days? And what other differences, such as limited access to benefits, will there be for those who arrive afterwards? How will those who “overstay” be removed?

Mrs May has rightly said that she wants exit negotiations with the EU to be as harmonious and mutually beneficial as possible. Yet in this development there is ample scope for bad blood to accrue. Given that more than one million Britons are resident in EU nations, Mrs May must now display the same deft talent for calming agitated EU leaders as she has in reassuring Brexiteers concerned that she might not prosecute their cause with the necessary diligence. It was tempting to think that Article 50 would be the end of the drama. In fact, the hard work is about to begin.