Keith Vaz Is Going To Personally Police The UK Border On New Year's Day

Keith Vaz Is Going To Personally Police The Border On New Year's Day
File photo dated 13/12/12 of MP Keith Vaz who is to write to the Metropolitan Police to seek clarification on why the partner of Guardian journalist Glenn Greenwald was held and questioned by officers while travelling through Heathrow.
File photo dated 13/12/12 of MP Keith Vaz who is to write to the Metropolitan Police to seek clarification on why the partner of Guardian journalist Glenn Greenwald was held and questioned by officers while travelling through Heathrow.
Anthony Devlin/PA Wire

Labour MP Keith Vaz has announced he is going to personally police the British border.

On January 1 2014 the transition controls that prevent Romanians and Bulgarians from settling in the UK in the same way all other EU citizens can will come to an end.

Vaz, the chairman of the home affairs committee, told MPs today he intended to turn up at Luton airport with fellow committee member Mark Reckless early that morning to see how many people turn up "just to be sure".

"The first flight from Romania gets in at 7.40am," he said. "The second flight gets in at 9pm. We will be there for the first flight to see what arrangements have been put in place and how many people turn up."

Vaz said if the only way to see what border controls were in place was "with our own eyes" then he was prepared to do it.

The Leicester MP made headlines recently after he asked the editor of The Guardian: "do you love this country?" He did not mention whether he would be asking a similar question of any Romanians stepping off the plane on New Year's Day.

Vaz made the pledge during a Commons debate on the impact Romanian and Bulgarians migrants would have. On Thursday the Romanian ambassador told The Huffington Post UK that the "vilification" of his country needed to stop. He insisted that it was likely fewer Romanians would actually decide to move to the UK in 2014 than in previous years.

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