New travel scheme aims to reduce UK border queues

The move will enable certain passengers to enter the UK without passing an electronic passport gate or after cleared by a Border Force officer, but after submitting a photo of themselves to the Home Office before their journey. The decision aims at “helping to speed up legitimate journeys” to the country. “Pre-screening” will allow passengers to be “identified at the border using the latest technology.”

Secretary of State for the Home Department, Priti Sushil Patel, commented:

“As Home Secretary I have been focused on taking back control of our immigration system through my New Plan for Immigration.

“This includes ensuring we have a border that is fit for the 21st century which allows travellers to get a visa and pass through the border easily, while maintaining national security.”

The government will use facial recognition technology in order to create the so-called “contactless corridors” that will facilitate border crossing. In translation, foreign tourists will have to provide authorities their biographic and biometric details via the new Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) scheme before embarking their flight. In addition, they will also be asked a short set of “suitability questions”.

‘Permission to Travel’ will be implemented by the Home Office starting 2023 and is expected to considerably ease the work of the UK Border Force, as well as enhance border crossing flow. International travellers will need to apply for a visa or an ‘Electronic Travel Authorisation’. An ETA permit will cost around £18 (€21).

The system will be trialled starting March 2023 with travellers coming from Kuwait, Qatar, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Oman and Bahrain.

The new Electronic Travel Authorisation system in the UK will be similar to the US Electronic System for Travel Authorisation (ESTA), implemented more than 20 years ago, following the 9/11 incidents.

 

Source: euronews.com