THE British government’s Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) plan will be hugely damaging to the North’s tourism industry, an SDLP MP has claimed.

South Belfast MP Claire Hanna challenged British government Immigration Minister Robert Jenrick on the border plans during a Westminster Hall debate on Tuesday.

The government’s plan will mean non-Irish or UK citizens will need an ETA to cross the border. It will particularly hit tourists who arrive through Dublin airport but are travelling on to the North as well as those on day trips from the Republic.

South Belfast MP Claire Hanna said: “I was flabbergasted to hear the UK government’s Immigration Minister Robert Jenrick admit that the government’s ETA plans and the failure to provide people travelling into Northern Ireland from the South with an exemption would have an impact on tourism here. In real terms this will mean fewer people visiting the North due to this unnecessary red tape, with an impact on businesses, jobs and wages for families who rely on the tourist industry to earn a living.

“At Westminster, I have repeatedly made the case that the ETA plans are unworkable given the unique circumstances on our island and the government have repeatedly failed to listen to the pleas of the tourism industry around the negative impact this will have, even in the face of their own analysis. It is also acknowledged by the government that the vast majority of people travelling North won’t be recorded, so the mechanism doesn’t even fulfil its stated aim of tracking arrivals. It creates a tourism deterrent and potential legal jeopardy for no good reason.” 

Sinn Féin senator Niall Ó Donnghaile said that tourism on the island is “all Ireland”.

“This unnecessary paperwork would bring additional cost and inconvenience,” he said. “It risks reducing the numbers of visitors to the North, with jobs lost in tourism and hospitality. 

“This policy would also impact on some of those travelling between jurisdictions for work or study. Its ramifications will be far reaching.

“This is yet another example of a British Tory government in London bringing in laws which have no consideration as to how would work in reality in Ireland. They just don’t care.

“Sinn Féin will continue to campaign for an immediate halt to these unfair, unreasonable and unworkable proposals.”