You can’t turn on the telly these days without hearing about Brexit. We are being told that leaving the EU is going to affect everything from passports to supermarket stock levels. Currently, the situation is still very uncertain. Nobody knows when we’re leaving, and on what terms. One issue which might be affected by Brexit is DBS checks, especially for people who have lived overseas in another European country. As with everything Brexit-related, we’re not sure what will happen. But being prepared appears a sensible move.
Right to Work Checks
Even though we’re not completely sure what the Brexit agreement will be, one thing is certain. The whole point of leaving the EU was to stop freedom of movement. Until now, people from all EU countries have had the right to move to the UK to live and work. And of course, UK citizens have had the right to live and work overseas too. That’s all going to stop, and will greatly affect right to work checks. Employers have to make sure they are not employing illegal workers. They will usually do a passport check. After Brexit, an EU passport will no longer guarantee that a worker is in the UK legally, or has the right to paid employment. Employers will have to check thoroughly to make sure they aren’t hit with huge fines.
But how will Brexit affect DBS checks?
If you’ve always lived in the UK, then the Brexit process is unlikely to affect you at all. Your entire police record is in the UK anyway and the EU doesn’t come into it. However, for people who have recently moved to the UK, pre-Brexit, it raises all sorts of questions. There is not one single European police database currently, although there is a high degree of information sharing between police forces. Most countries have stated that they wish this information sharing to continue, but it’s not guaranteed.
Employers will have to carry on asking applicants from overseas to provide a certificate of good character or print out of their criminal record from their home country. This is the current procedure, and one thing which Brexit won’t change. It might just mean that things take a bit longer in terms of getting paperwork back through the post.
Checks for people moving overseas
Brexit might also affect people who are moving overseas to live in countries which are part of the EU. At present, all you need to move to countries like Greece or Spain is your UK passport. We all know that going to live in countries outside the EU involve much stricter immigration checks. If you want to live in Australia, for example, you need to apply for a criminal records check from ACRO, a body similar to DBS. Delays could be experienced with a huge increase in the volume of checks.
However – remember that we still don’t know exactly what is happening with Brexit. There may be a delay, a second referendum – who knows. Just keep your eyes on the press, especially for any news involving criminal records checks.
