Priti Patel has warned peers that British holidaymakers heading to the EU next year will likely face delays at the border as a result of the new travel check.
The House of Lords Justice and Home Affairs Committee contacted the Home Secretary to express concern about potential impacts of the two new systems due to be implemented by the bloc.
The European Travel Information and Authorisation Scheme (ETIAS) will require non-EU citizens to apply for permission to travel ahead of time and will come with a cost of €7 (£6).
A new Entry/Exit System, (EES), will monitor non-EU citizens as they enter or exit the EU. This will include face scans and taking fingerprints.
Ms. Patel was informed by the committee that while the system could have serious consequences for British citizens, the UK appeared ‘unprepared’.
Priti Patel, a peer warned that British tourists traveling to Europe for holiday in 2014 will face “sustained delays” at the border due to new travel controls.
The House of Lords Justice and Home Affairs Committee wrote to the Home Secretary informing her that it was’very worried’ about two systems being implemented by the bloc.
The peers said in their letter: ‘The Justice and Home Affairs Committee is very concerned indeed about the upcoming launch of two new EU border management systems.
“They may have severe consequences for the UK as well the rights, liberties and privacy of UK citizens. And the UK does not appear to be prepared.
“The two systems will launch in the next year but there are still many ethical, legal, and logistical issues that need to be addressed.”
The peers said that under the EES system travellers ‘will be required to undergo border checks that are likely to cause sustained delays and disruption’.
The committee said the UK ‘should take urgent steps to engage with the (European) Commission, support the operators and develop and consult on plans to raise the public’s awareness of the new arrangements’.
They added that while resources are being focused on immediate consequences of withdrawal from EU and pandemics in recent times, they have become deeply worried about ETIAS/EES.
Two new systems were created as part of an EU effort to improve border security in the bloc.
The ETIAS scheme will see non-EU citizens from 62 countries – including Britain – told to pay to enter the border-free Schengen zone.
EU officials claim the new system will permit the bloc’s pre-screening of information from travellers. It also checks criminal records.
The system will look similar to the US Electronic System for Travel Authorizations (ESTA), which grants citizens of 39 countries a 90 day visa-free stay.
But, it will remain valid for up three years and be counted for multiple entry. This is anticipated to be in effect by the 2022 end.
The European Travel Information and Authorisation Scheme (ETIAS) will require non-EU citizens to apply for permission to travel ahead of time and will come with a cost of €7 (£6). This photo shows a beach in Ibiza
EES will be available in the meantime, possibly by May.
Non-EU tourists will be urged to utilize a kiosk for self-service, which will compare biometric data with security databases.
This system tracks all travellers who cross EU borders.
The European Commission has said it will ‘register the person’s name, type of the travel document, biometric data (fingerprints and captured facial images) and the date and place of entry and exit’.