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Brexit: Border safety concerns as HMRC plans to simplify customs checks

Brexit: Border safety concerns as HMRC plans to simplify customs checks

Ministers have revealed that hauliers will be able to bring goods into the UK without facing checks at the border in the event of a no-deal Brexit.

The special arrangement, which will affect goods coming in to 20 ports around the country, is expected to last for up to six months.

"Transitional Simplified Procedures"

The HMRC website states: “For a temporary period, HMRC will allow most goods moving from the listed roll on roll off locations to leave the UK port or train station before you’ve told us that the goods have arrived.”

Hauliers have warned that a no-deal Brexit could result in long queues at Channel ports, with senior industry figures warning that, even with these simplified procedure,  firms would still not be ready for a no-deal EU exit.

Rod McKenzie, from the Road Haulage Association, told the BBC: 

"Business is simply not ready for a chaotic no-deal Brexit.

"The systems aren't in place, the staff are not trained, there isn't the time in the day for hauliers and businesses to do all the paperwork." 

Labour MP Geraint Davies raised safety concerns. He said:  

“Now the plan is to wave things through irrespective of our safety.

“We’ll have no idea what is coming into our ports.”

The UK is due to leave the EU at 23:00 GMT on Friday 29 March,  with or without a deal.
 

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