The Guardian was informed that the British government is one of the “biggest supporters” of the EU plan, which requires non-EU nationals to obtain authorization and pay for entry into the EU passport-free travel zone.
The David Cameron government supported the idea in April 2016, three months before the EU referendum, when the European Commission put it forward. At the time, almost no one foresaw 7 Euros (5.95 Euros). GBP) fees will one day hit British tourists.
This week, when the European Commission stated that it planned to implement a European Travel Information and Authorization System (Etias) is expected to take effect for passengers at the end of 2022.
Despite the claim of “Brexit penalty”, this idea to strengthen border security existed long before Brexit and applied to citizens from about 60 countries.
Based on the US Esta program, non-EU citizens who do not require a visa must fill out a form and pay 7 euros before entering the European passport-free Schengen area. In 95% of cases, approval will be obtained within a few minutes. If travel is allowed, a fee of 7 euros-for adults 18 to 70 years old-covers multiple visits over a three-year period.
Claude Moraes, a former Labour Party member of the European Parliament, said the government has been keen on this idea. “Obviously before the referendum, the British government was one of its biggest supporters, and [Etias] It is seen as part of the border digital securitization that the UK hopes to lead in the European Union. “
Moraes is the Chairman of the European Parliament’s Internal Affairs Committee, which is responsible for negotiating Etias regulations with the European Union’s Interior Minister.
It is understood that the then Minister of the Interior Theresa May supported this concept, although she never expected to join, because the United Kingdom is not in the Schengen area. If the United Kingdom remains a member of the European Union, British nationals will be exempt from filling in forms and fees-the special status that non-Schengen Ireland has today.
Former British Ambassador to the European Union Sir Ivan Rogers Said that Britain would approve, but added that he did not have detailed recollections. “Since this is a Schengen building measure, we will not join. This applies to several Schengen building proposals that we say we agree with, in good circumstances [Home Office] On the grounds of safety. “
Former European Minister David Lidington said: “I don’t remember our exact position on Etias at the time-we were very concerned about referendum activities. Having said that, our overall approach is to encourage and support the EU’s measures to strengthen aviation safety. In order to reduce the risk of a successful terrorist attack.”
When May served in the Home Office, the UK was at the forefront of pushing the EU to pass a law that required law enforcement agencies to collect data on airplane passengers. The Passenger Name Record (PNR) directive was co-written by Timothy Kirkhope, a member of the British Conservative Party, and has reached data sharing agreements with Australia and the United States.
In April 2016, May stated that staying in the EU “means that we will be safer from crime and terrorism” because she praised the European arrest warrant and PNR law.
Moraes recalled that the government viewed the Etias plan as part of a security package that included the PNR and the EU database. “This is how they see Etias as a modernization of the border. Interoperability is the main bonus of Etias [the government] – It will be used with other EU-wide databases. “
When travelers fill out the Etias form, their data will automatically be cross-checked with other EU databases, including Schengen Information System, Europol and Eurodac fingerprint data storage for asylum seekers.
The idea of a European travel authorization system was proposed at least as early as 2011 and gained momentum after the terrorist attacks in Paris in 2015 and Brussels in 2016.
Despite the tension between Cameron and the rest of the EU, his government Voted yes Most EU laws.
