Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood meets EU Home-Affairs Commissioner Magnus Brunner in Brussels today in an effort to restore UK access to key law-enforcement and migration databases lost after Brexit. According to NewsDive, talks will focus on re-joining the Schengen Information System (SIS) and gaining observer status in Eurodac, the EU’s biometric file for asylum applicants. The diplomatic push follows Prime Minister Andy Burnham’s pledge to seek “pragmatic cooperation” at next month’s EU-UK summit. Frontex figures published Monday show Channel small-boat crossings down 43 % year-on-year, but officials on both sides believe real-time data exchange is vital to sustain the trend. For mobility and security teams the stakes are high. Lack of SIS alerts has complicated right-to-work checks and sponsor-licence compliance because UK employers receive fewer warnings about employees who become overstayers or face EU arrest warrants. Re-access could reduce compliance risk and speed secondary-passport screening at ports. Commissioner Brunner will also visit MI5 and the National Counter-Terrorism Security Office in London to discuss joint investigations—a sign the UK may need to offer reciprocal data concessions. Any agreement would likely be implemented via the Trade and Cooperation Agreement’s specialised committee, avoiding treaty change but still requiring primary legislation at Westminster. Businesses should note that expanded data flows could trigger updates to privacy notices and onboarding processes under both GDPR and the UK Data Protection Act. Legal teams should track announcements from the Home Office and the Information Commissioner’s Office in the coming weeks.
Source: NewsDive
