Post-Brexit EU travellers should pay to come to Britain to help pay for anti-terror border strengthening, says Dover MP
Published: 00:14, 05 January 2017
Updated: 14:14, 05 January 2017
An MP is calling for a Brexit visitor tax for EU citizens to help pay for border security.
Charlie Elphicke, for Dover and Deal, wants people from the Continent visiting Britain after it has left the European Union to pay £10 when they arrive and fill in a form.
He believes this would contribute to a £250 million increase in the Border Force budget, which he wants to tackle illegal immigration.
The charge would be in the form of a £10 European Travel Authority visa waiver.
He tweeted: “Introducing a US style visa waiver scheme for EU travellers post-Brexit could raise £250 million a year for border security.”
His call follows a warning by UK terror laws watchdog David Anderson that jihadists training in Syria and Iraq could return to Britain via remote locations to avoid border checks.
Mr Elphicke further explained Kent Online: “Protecting the British people from terrorists must be our priority. So border security needs to be tighter than ever before – starting at the Dover frontline.
“That’s why as we leave the EU we must invest in our borders and increase the borders budget, with a new system that makes the best use of intelligence and allows universal watch list checking.
“Bringing in a visa waiver system like the US for travellers from the EU would net £250m a year - increasing the borders budget by half.
“By acting now, Britain can become a world leader in border security. Post-Brexit we must show the world Britain means business.”
Mr Anderson, Independent Reviewer of Terrorism Legislation, warned that Islamic State killers returning to Britain could use small ports, marinas and beaches across the UK as an easy route into Britain as they are not policed.
Mr Elphicke has said that Parliamentary figures showed the Border Force’s budget had been reduced by £120million in three years - from £617million in 2012-13 to £497million in 2015-16.
He believes that the waiver fee would also allow counter-terror and immigration officials to gain valuable information on who is travelling into the UK.
This would help counter terrorists as well child sex abusers and human traffickers.
Mr Anderson raised the concern that concentrating activities in larger ports risked reducing checks on those arriving in the UK in private planes and small boats at small airfields, harbours or landing places.
Mr Anderson was making a final annual review of terrorism laws and made a submission to the Home Office.
He said: ‘My successor may at some stage choose to look at coverage of smaller south and east coast ports, marinas and landing places.
"It is conceivable that they might be an option for returning foreign fighters or other terrorists, as they appear to be for the migrants who are sometimes reported to be using them, or seeking to use them, in order to get into the country.
‘The extent of this risk… would bear further investigation.”
Last May 18 Albanian migrants were rescued from a sinking dinghy two miles of Dymchurch after sailing from Calais.
Three migrants also landed on Deal Beach in September and police handed them to immigration officials.
Last November seven were brought ashore at Folkestone Harbour after they were rescued from a dinghy by coastguard and lifeboat crews.
It is feared that ruthless Islamic State terrorists, including British-born ones returning home, could try similar methods.
Mr Elphicke said the visa waiver scheme would also allow Britain to bolster surveillance and intelligence by collecting even more detailed advance information on passengers before they arrived at the border.
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Sam Lennon