Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she plans to write the Common Travel Area into domestic UK law.

The Common Travel Area (CTA) is an administrative arrangement between the UK and Ireland, as well as the Isle of Man, Guernsey and Jersey.

It allows British and Irish citizens to travel freely between the UK and Ireland and reside in either jurisdiction. It also facilitates the enjoyment of associated rights and privileges including the right to work, to study and to access social security benefits and health services.

We have always been clear on the shared commitment to protect the rights of our citizens in each other’s state and this is already underpinned by domestic legislation, which will be updated as necessary to ensure the agreed CTA rights and privileges are properly reflected.