The UK government has been cautioned about the potential for “major travel disruption” as it rolls out its new Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) system alongside two forthcoming EU travel platforms.
The House of Lords’ Justice and Home Affairs Committee has alerted ministers to the possible complications arising from the ETA, which is currently being gradually introduced, as well as the EU’s Entry/Exit System (EES) and the Electronic Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS).
The committee highlighted the “limited public awareness” regarding the imminent changes at both UK and EU borders.
“The timetable for the implementation of changes at the border is extremely ambitious,” the committee stated. “There is a lack of co-ordination with the EU on the launch of its schemes, with challenges and delays likely to arise if the rollout of the ETA for EU citizens clashes with the launch of the EES.”
The UK government introduced the ETA for Qatari nationals in October 2023, extending it to nationals from Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. It is set to expand to visitors from other countries, including the EU and US, later this year.
Meanwhile, the EU has faced multiple delays in implementing both the EES and ETIAS. The EES is now scheduled to launch in October, with ETIAS to follow in mid-2025. Both systems will apply to UK nationals and passport holders from all other non-EU countries outside the Schengen area.
Lord Foster of Bath, chair of the Justice and Home Affairs Committee, acknowledged the principle behind the UK’s ETA scheme but expressed doubts about its feasibility.
“However, we question whether the ETA can live up to its original objectives, not least because of uncertainties about the quality of available data about visitors,” he added.
“We are concerned about the pace of change given the current inadequacies in the information being provided, the potential disruption if the ETA for EU citizens and the EU’s own EES are introduced simultaneously, and the lack of time to make changes based on early rollout experiences.”
Lord Foster also criticised the policy requiring transit passengers travelling through UK airports to obtain an ETA, costing £10, due to the “significant economic impact it will have on Heathrow.” Heathrow Airport has already called for this rule to be scrapped for connecting travellers not passing through the UK border.
“The pace of change could undermine public confidence in border management. The government, Border Force, and the public need to be ready, and these changes need to be communicated as a priority,” Lord Foster concluded.
“We have seen major disruption at Dover and Kent when there are delays at the border and long queues at airports when systems are down. Planning for a gradual and well-coordinated implementation of the new schemes is vital to ensure similar chaos at our borders is avoided.”
As the UK and EU move forward with these significant changes, effective communication and strategic implementation will be crucial to preventing widespread travel disruption and maintaining public confidence in border management systems.