Governments propose Ireland border checks for the first time in 80 years

London and Dublin have today announced plans for full identity checks on travellers which could involve a full passport inspection.

There will also be increased immigration checks across the land border between the Irish Republic and Northern Ireland - although there are no plans for fixed checkpoints.

The proposals are designed to catch non-British and non-Irish nationals who travel illegally between the two countries.

The government plans could mean a full passport inspection for those travelling between Ireland and Britain

Both governments want to overhaul the Common Travel Area (CTA) which was set up in 1925 following Irish independence three years earlier.

The plans do not cover travel between Northern Ireland and the UK mainland. These will be subject to a further set of proposals later this year.

A spokesman for the Home Office said: 'We intend to carry out checks on passengers and their documents on sea and air routes arriving and departing from the UK to the Republic of Ireland for border control purposes.

'The introduction of routine immigration checks represents a substantial change to the UK's operation of the CTA.'

Checks could involve examination of a passport to establish whether they are free to travel between the two countries.

British and Irish residents could be separated into different channels from foreign passengers similar to the way European passengers are separated on international flights.

New laws may also be introduced to allow searches of vehicles travelling between the Republic and Northern Ireland.

Airlines and ferry operators could be hit with fines if they carry passengers to the UK who do not have appropriate documents, the two governments said.

In a joint statement, home secretary Jacqui Smith and Irish justice minister Dermot Ahern said: 'It is crucial that our two countries work closely together to ensure our borders are stronger than ever.

'We have agreed a range of joint and national measures specifically to strengthen our CTA. Both governments reaffirm that they have no plans to introduce fixed controls on either side of the Irish land border for immigration or other purposes.'

The CTA also includes the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man, known as the Crown dependencies, where the enhanced checks would also be introduced.

Nearly 16 million passengers travelled by air and sea between Ireland, the UK and the dependencies, in 2006.

The zone has been in force since it was fully implemented in 1925, apart from immigration controls imposed in the Second World War and lasting until 1952.