The introduction of ETA and the EES should not coincide, the committee said (Credit: iStock)
The Lords’ Justice and Home Affairs committee has called on the UK government to work with its counterparts in Brussels to ensure the introduction of the EU Entry-Exit scheme (EES) and related Etias visa waiver doesn’t coincide with the rollout of the UK Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) scheme.
“We are concerned about the pace of change given the current inadequacies in the information being made, the potential disruption if the ETA for EU citizens and the EU’s own EES are introduced at the same time,” said the committee’s chair Lord Foster of Bath in a letter sent to immigration minister Tom Pursglove on Monday (20 May).
“Planning for a gradual and well coordinated implementation of the new schemes is vital to ensure similar chaos at our borders is avoided.”
The committee has also urged UK ministers to use “all diplomatic efforts” to persuade the EU to delay the rollout of its new rules until a smartphone application is available, which it said would save a lot of time at border checks.
