InFacts dismantles Leave’s claims that leaving Europe would make us safer from incoming criminals.

After leaving the EU, the only significant way to make UK border security tighter than it is now would be to introduce pre-travel controls, such as visas, for travellers from other EU countries. But disruptions to business travel and tourism would make this option highly unappealing.

Brexit wouldn’t give Britain any additional control over its borders, but it could potentially jeopardise the UK’s continued membership of data-sharing programmes. ECRIS, for example, is a database set up in 2012 to exchange criminal records information between member states, intended for use at the request of judges and prosecutors. It is currently being enhanced for further integration, and to include information on non-EU citizens.

The Schengen Information System is a sophisticated alerts system for wanted and missing persons.The system doesn’t guarantee recently released murderers get stopped at the border, but it does increase protection against fugitives.

The priority in Brussels, particularly in the wake of recent terrorist atrocities, is to bolster these and other EU-wide information systems. A post-Brexit Britain would likely still be involved in security cooperation but, as InFacts has previously written, Brexit would remove the UK’s leadership role in setting a European security strategy.

Writing this regular round-up it is striking to me how much more coverage there is of the referendum in the financial press (both here and abroad) compared to other parts of the media – a strong indication itself that the economic issues at stake are massive.

Telegraph Money looks at how the fall in the pound associated with Brexit-risk is hitting British pensioners living out of the country and contributing to many coming back to Britain.

The Telegraph also reports that Brexit could lead to an “expat exodus”

The Bank of England has issued fresh warnings over the economic effects of Brexit, reported in the Guardian, Mail.

Alastair Darling picked up the BoE’s assessment (The Herald), saying:

“This assessment makes it clear our economy would be more vulnerable and less resilient if we vote to leave the EU; leading to higher mortgage rates for families and higher interest rates for Britain’s businesses.

“This is not a report Leave campaigners can simply dismiss as ‘biased’ or ‘scaremongering’. It is a serious piece of work that should make everyone think twice about irresponsibly gambling with people’s jobs and livelihoods.”

The Education Secretary says young people have most to lost if we leave Europe (Leicester Mercury)

The Guardian Small Business Panel discusses whether leaving would make it more difficult to hire EU workers if we leave the EU. The overall answer if “there would be a lot of uncertainty”.

Former Cabinet Secretary Gus O’ Donnell believes it would take 10 years for the UK to negotiate a new relationship with the EU should we leave.

* Antony Hook was #2 on the South East European list in 2014, is the English Party's representative on the Federal Executive and produces this sites EU Referendum Roundup.