As part of its new migration plans, the United Kingdom is set to go for a ‘fully digital border’, interior minister Priti Patel has announced. Digitising the border will mean officials can count who is coming in and out of the country and whether they have permission to be in the country.
“Our new approach will make it easier to identify potential threats before they reach the border,” the minister said.
According to the new plans to be unveiled on Monday, Patel is set to announce that people coming to the UK without a visa or immigration status will have to apply for an American-style Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA). The UK expects around 30 million ETA applications each year.
Tightening immigration rules and securing borders were key promises of Patel and Prime Minister Boris Johnson who argued for leaving the European Union in Britain’s 2016 Brexit referendum.
