Ms Rudd agreed that people would be “surprised” if they had to apply for a short-term visa to visit countries including France but insisted such a scheme could be rolled out.
Advertisement
At present, a visa for non-EU residents who wish to visit the Schengen zone costs £50, and it’s now believed that a similar cost will be implemented for British tourists.
He said Sunday Rudd failed, in media interviews, to reject the European Union proposal which is based on the US ESTA travel scheme in which adults and children have to pay 14 US dollars each.
Rudd’s comments come as once again the European Union on Monday reiterated its position that the United Kingdom can not pick and choose which rules to follow – and that if it wants access to the common market, London better be prepared to allow the free movement of people.
Asked about visas, Ms Rudd told the BBC’s Andrew Marr programme: “I don’t think it’s particularly desirable but we don’t rule it out because we have to be allowed a free hand to give the best negotiation”.
The Guardian has reported that France and Germany have backed a visa system based on the US Esta scheme.
Burnham criticised Britain’s interior minister, the Home Secretary Amber Rudd for failing to rule out the idea of a European waiver system.
“The EU and the Commissioners may be considering alternatives – they will be considering their negotiations with us, just as we are considering it with them”.
Negotiations will not begin before next year, meaning the two-year process could end in 2019 just months before the next election, due in May 2020.
The EU’s Schengen zone which includes most nations in the bloc is considering an electronic travel authorization system similar to one the US uses for visitors from selected countries.
In today’s interview, Ms Rudd said she now accepted the target to get net annual immigration down to “the tens of thousands”, having initially cast doubt on it.
Shadow Home Secretary Andy Burnham claimed that the fees would add further pressures on the purse strings of cash-strapped families attempting to go on holiday.
Advertisement
Latest figures from Britain’s Office for National Statistics (ONS) show more than 30 million trips a year are made to the European mainland by Britons, including 13 million to the most popular destination country, Spain and nearly 9 million to France.
