Source · Select Committees · Northern Ireland Affairs Committee
Recommendation 8
8
The UK’s loss of access to SIS II has the potential to create delays in...
Recommendation
The UK’s loss of access to SIS II has the potential to create delays in UK law enforcement agencies receiving arrest warrant notices when the location of the suspect is not known, if partner agencies in EU Member States do not routinely enter arrest warrant notices into the Interpol I-24/7 database. We would hope that, given the UK’s historical role in Interpol and the demonstrable benefits for pan-European safety and security, this would be something that EU Member States would support and encourage. The Government must set out how it plans to mitigate, limit or eliminate delays in receiving arrest warrants and operational information from EU partners following the loss of access to SIS II. The Government and relevant UK law enforcement agencies must also set out how it plans to encourage partner agencies in EU Member States to enter arrest warrants into the Interpol I-24/7 database to mitigate the operational loss of SIS II. (Paragraph 63) Cross-border information sharing
Government Response
Acknowledged
HM Government
Acknowledged
In the absence of SIS II, we have returned to tried and tested mechanisms of cooperation via Interpol and bilateral channels, which we already use with the rest of the world – and which we already used with Ireland as they were not previously connected to SIS II. Using Interpol channels, we are routinely exchanging information with EU Member States on persons of interest, including missing and wanted individuals, on lost and stolen documents and on notifications of counter terrorism and serious crime interest. Further to our engagement with EU partners before the end of the Transition Period, we continue to encourage Member States to make full use of these channels, including for the circulation of arrest warrants. There is an automated upload of incoming Interpol circulations to domestic systems. Information is available via policing systems within minutes of receipt and is available at the border within 24 hours. If the National Crime Agency is notified a case is urgent, then specific alerts can be uploaded to domestic systems more rapidly. Information is therefore already quickly accessible and technical work is in train to further expedite access. We are also investing in longer-term technical capabilities to support law enforcement data sharing by developing a single technical mechanism for law enforcement agencies to access and share alerts related to people, documents and objects with international partners on a reciprocal basis. The current priority of the programme, which is at an early stage of development, is to enhance the UK’s connectivity to Interpol. Ensuring positive operational outcomes will require commitment to routine and intelligent use of the full range of available capabilities, rather than specific system comparisons. Working with our EU partners and law enforcement partners in Ireland, we will continue to strengthen international law enforcement cooperation to tackle shared threats.