UK scraps visa-free travel for Jordanians due to 'abuse' of system

ETA allows travellers to make unlimited visits to Britain over two years, or until the holder’s passport expires

Newly-arrived airline passengers queue at the UK Border Agency's passport control desks. Getty Images

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The UK has scrapped a visa-free travel scheme for Jordanian visitors due to breaches of visitor rules.

British Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said the Electronic Travel Authorisation system, which allows visitors to enter the UK multiple times over a two-year period for a fee of £10, would no longer be available to Jordanian nationals due to the misuse of the procedure, namely an increase in asylum claims at the border.

The scheme was launched in October last year, and initially only applied to Qatar, but was opened up to the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Bahrain, Kuwait and Jordan in February.

Middle Eastern states were chosen to pilot the scheme because they represent the highest number of returning tourists, with tracking data showing that three quarters of all holiday visitors from the UAE make repeat visits to Britain.

But on Tuesday it was announced that Jordanians are no longer able to access the system, which is being expanded to other nationalities from November.

Why has the scheme been scrapped for Jordanian nationals?

Authorities said they registered an increase in the number of Jordanians travelling to the UK to claim asylum, with refusals at the border rocketing from 22 in the first quarter of this year to 463 in the three months to June.

The number of asylum claims made by Jordanian nationals also rose steeply, from 17 in the final quarter of 2023 to 77 in the first quarter of 2024, and 261 in the three months to June.

In addition, there has been an increase in Jordanian nationals using an ETA to transit through the UK and subsequently claim asylum in Ireland, the UK government said.

“We are taking this action due to an increase in the number of Jordanian nationals travelling to the UK for purposes other than what is permitted under visitor rules since the visa requirement was lifted in February 2024,” Ms Cooper told the House of Commons.

“This has included a significant and sustained increase in asylum claims, and high rates of refusals at the border due to people travelling without the intention of visiting for a permitted purpose.”

This has “added significantly to operational pressures at the border”, Ms Cooper wrote.

She added that the decision to introduce a visa requirement was taken “solely for migration and border security reasons”, and the UK's relationship with Jordan “remains a strong and friendly one”.

A four-week transition period has been introduced for travellers who already hold an ETA and have confirmed trips. But any bookings arranged after 3pm on October 8 will require a visa instead.

A manager at one of Jordan’s largest travel agencies told The National the electronic visa had spurred significant demand for travel to Britain – and abuse of the system, which coincided with new flights by state-owned Royal Jordanian to Stansted and Manchester in March.

“Demand rose but the visa was widely abused,” said the manager, who did not want to be named. “Many Jordanians obtained it relatively easily and simply stayed in Britain.”

Louise Haycock, a partner at immigration lawyers Fragomen, in London, told The National the new UK government has been clear about its tough stance on immigration and compliance, and “Jordanians are the first nation to experience the government use of the operation of ETA to identify those nations who should be subject to greater scrutiny”.

She added: “The government’s monitoring of ETA use is expected to continue, with similar consequences where non-compliance is identified.”

Who will the ETA scheme be expanded to in November?

The ETA scheme will be expanded for all other nationals, except Europeans, in November and be required for entry from January 8, 2025.

The programme will be extended to European nationals in March 2025, and be a travel requirement for them from April 2, 2025.

Ms Cooper wrote: “Once fully rolled out, the ETA scheme will close the current gap in advance permissions and mean that for the first time, we will have a comprehensive understanding of those travelling to the UK.”

Other changes include the introduction of a VIP Delegate Visa for state and ministerial delegations and a Diplomatic Visa. Bereaved partners of Gurkhas and Hong Kong military unit veterans discharged before July 1, 1997 can also benefit from a fee waiver if they are destitute.

What is the ETA?

ETAs are digitally linked to a traveller's passport.

The scheme is cheaper, faster and easier to apply for than the long-standing Electronic Visa Waiver, which allowed visitors from the Gulf to stay in Britain for up to six months for tourism, business, study or medical treatment.

Under the system, travellers can make unlimited visits to Britain over two years, or until the holder’s passport expires, whichever comes first.

Has it been a success so far?

Not universally, no. Heathrow airport recently blamed the ETA scheme for a 90,000-drop in transfer passenger numbers on routes included in the system since it was launched.

It described the programme as “devastating for our hub competitiveness” and urged the government to review the inclusion of airside transit passengers.

Heathrow bosses pointed to a decline in the number of Qatari transfer travellers, with 19,000 fewer transit passengers travelling from the Gulf state to Heathrow in its first four months of operation.

What does the UK government say?

The government argues the ETA scheme enhances British border security by increasing officials’ knowledge about those looking to visit the UK and preventing the arrival of those who pose a threat. It says the robust security checks help prevent “abuse of our immigration system”.

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