To expect that our new passports will be printed in the UK

I loved my blue passport, I hate the bloody red thing but I get round it by having a cover for my passport and that is blue.

Oh dear.

I couldn’t care less about the colour of my passport . Being able to use it now and again would be nice though.

I’m not sure there’ve been any nasty comments on this thread ??? Could be wrong . I often am .

So do I.

It wasn’t about illegal immigrants. Our esteemed govt has done precious little about them. The attraction of the UK is that they can get benefits and work under the radar. They are illegal at the end of the day. One poster made a comment about few non white faces in the part of France she visited and I questioned why that seemed relevant. No answer yet.

Ger part of your your post is rubbish - utter rubbish. There is no way on this earth that you can get benefits if you are an illegal immigrant. gilly see the comments and lies about illegal immigrants etc

Well, at least the situation is giving some GNers, and the whole French nation apparently, a jolly good laugh. Ha ha ha.

I doubt many of those in danger of losing their jobs are “chuckling”, or finding it all quite so “hilarious”.

As a remainder, one of the EU downsides that I shall be glad to see the back of is the community wide tendering process for our public services. Few other countries are daft enough to follow it anyway.

The irony is that the majority of the jobs at the company are financed by fulfilling orders from other countries - with or without the EU we live in a global economy and that’s not going to change

This is a disgrace, we should be supporting the British company. Why do we need new passports anyway?

They’ve got a bloomin’ license to print money have !

Oh wait a minute ... they actually have got a licence to print money . Sadly not £ sterling though.

I wonder if they need a cleaner ?

I hear Ramsdens exchange rates are excellent at the moment .

I agree it is a disgrace LuckyFour and I don’t trust the French bid !

We need to trade with the rest of the world as proved if a company offers a cheaper price for a service for example in France who do you think will get the contract? It’s called a free and open market that we will still need to use ??

I agree with you maggiemaybe, about the community wide tendering process, and I also speak as a remainer.
There have been no ‘lies’ about illegal immigrants, I’m sure Geri made a completely innocent mistake in assuming illegal immigrants can claim benefits, which of course they can’t, that’s why they work illegally and don’t pay taxes or NI. I find the tone of a few of the comments on here to be distasteful. There’s no need for rudeness.
I still feel that there is a very real security risk in printing the passports abroad, that’s why the French and Germans print them in their own countries. Very sensible I would say.

It's absolutely true that "illegal" immigrants don't qualify for any benefits. I would prefer they were treated by the NHS if in need, rather than untreated and therefore becoming seriously ill. Illegal immigrants involve some people who came here from eg the West Indies 30 years ago - commonwealth and slavery links, yet they're now being found to be illegal and locked up in Yarswood. This is just not civilised.
LuckyFour, we need new passports because we're leaving the EU, so our EU passports won't be legal. Simples.
I saw some figures recently about the financial cost of so called health tourism, which would include 'illegal' immigrants. It was a drop in the ocean of our NHS costs. No doubt someone more organised than I can provide a link (durhamjen)

I meant that illegal immigrants who arrive in the back of lorries from Calais who claim asylum and they do get benefits - asylum seekers do get an allowance. They are not supposed to work but it’s well known that many of them do work under the radar.

Once they claim asylum they cease to become an illegal immigrant - as in the case of the ParsonsGreen bomber. But many people will see a fine line between the two.

And many who arrived in the back of lorries remain under the radar.

Yes of course Iam64, illegals from so long ago really should be legalised, not least because then they would then be paying tax and NI and have access to all the associated benefits ie pension rights. However I don’t agree that whilst people remain illegal, that they should be able to access health care or education. If they’re in the system to that extent, they should be followed up and legalised or deported as appropriate.

But I don’t believe there could have been such a massive difference in price Momof3 . Unless of course the French government are subsiding them in order to get the business and have a damned good laugh at our expense as previously suggested . Either that or they will ask for more money at a later date . Nothing would surprise me .

You’re right geri, illegals who arrive in the back of lorries do get an allowance whilst their applications are processed. But they’re not allowed to work.

Totally agree with your post of 19.08 gilly. And with that I must away and bath my little grandson who is staying overnight with us tonight. First I will need to wrestle him away from his games with Grandad.

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

We need to trade with the rest of the world as proved if a company offers a cheaper price for a service for example in France who do you think will get the contract? It’s called a free and open market that we will still need to use ??

Except the French and Germans have refused to put their passport contracts out for international tender, citing security issues. A free and open market?

I don’t want a blue passport Grandma70s - the good news is that you don't have to have one! You can get covers of lots of different colours for your passport if you feel so strongly.

When we were voting for "in" or "out" my husband said he would vote for "out" so we could get out blue passports back, never dreaming it would come true!