Flights from UK immigration rules

[ryand36]

Hey,

Can anyone enlighten me... At STN threes a domestic section of a satellite where flights from Scotland, and Northern Ireland arrive into and the passengers leave the airport through a different channel and have no immigration checks and just collect their bags and go! But with flights from Republic of Ireland the channel islands which I think are classified as Domestic Flights come into the international satellites and passengers are directed to immigration but then there is a separate line for these passengers and they too don’t have any ID checks and just go straight through to the international baggage reclaim and collect their bags! Is there any reason why this happens? Why don’t these flights just go to the domestic satellite? Or are they intentional flights but don’t require immigration?

Any help would be appreciated!

[lurkio]

Even though they are technically domestic flights the Channel Islands are not full members of the EU only associate members so theoretically pax are entering from outside the EU. I think that probably explains them. As for Irish Republic, no idea.

[Mr.Kite]

Google "Common Travel Area" and that may help explain things. I think, and I'll try to find out for definite, that arriving passengers from Ireland and The Channel Islands have to show their boarding pass stubs at immigration to prove where they have arrived from.

Answering this is reminding me how long it's been since I last flew to Dublin, I must check out the Ryanair website for any 1p flights!

[ryand36]

Thanks for the info Mr Kite! Do you know why they have to show their boarding pass? Surely it just creates more congestion? If they don’t need ID to enter the airport why do they need to show their boarding pass? Why not check their cards at Domestic Arrivals?

[ImPlaneCrazy]

Forgive me if i'm wrong but I've always understood that the Irish channel is mainly for Police purposes (you often see a PC sat at the desk monitoring the Irish flights) - and I'm sure I was told it was due to the past troubles and need for screening certain passengers.

[commit aviation]

Domestic flights: No immigration / no customs
International flts: Immigration & customs
That's the easy bit!
BFS: Police retain the right to see these passengers but customs not interested (as it is a domstic sector)
Ireland: There is currently a dispensation between UK & Ireland so only a police check rather than full passport check. However it is international so customs may take an interest.
Channel Isles & IOM: No passport check (crown dependancy I think is the term) but not part of UK hence possible customs interest.

It's not easy to get your head round - I know handling agent staff who still have to check before they go & meet some of these flights after a considerable number of years in the job!

[ryand36]

Thanks for your help everybody! I understand why it has to be done I guess but I cant help but think it causes a lot of congestion problems especially at STN! I bet EZY and FR are glad of those dual access gates, if everything has to go to different places all the time!