Britain stops working with electronic visas (ETA) for Jordanians

Arab Weather - The British government announced the suspension of the electronic permit system (ETA) for Jordanians, starting today, Tuesday, September 10, 2024, and the re-imposition of the requirement to obtain a prior visa for Jordanian citizens to enter the United Kingdom.

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Reason for stopping the work of electronic visas (ETA)

The Jordanian Foreign Ministry said in a statement that the British Embassy in Amman indicated that the decision to suspend the electronic permit system was due to “misuse.” The official spokesman for the Jordanian Foreign Ministry, Sufian Qudah, stated on the X platform that the British authorities attributed their decision, in a letter from the British Home Secretary to the Jordanian Deputy Prime Minister, to the continued violations and misuse of the system by some Jordanian travelers.

Jordan's efforts to address the issue

The judges confirmed that the ministry had held a dialogue with the British authorities through the Jordanian embassy in London, with the aim of finding solutions to violations of residency and immigration laws. However, the continuation of these violations prompted Britain to return to the traditional visa system, as it was before last February.

The judges noted that the British decision may be subject to amendment in the future, and that discussions are still ongoing to re-adopt the electronic visa (ETA) system on terms that are compatible with British requirements. The main aim of this system was to facilitate the visit of Jordanians to Britain.

The official spokesman explained that the Jordanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs had formed a team to improve the Jordanian passport's global ranking, as the ranking was raised by ten degrees according to the Henley and Partner classification from 2017 to 2024, which contributed to facilitating the movement of Jordanians between countries.

According to British sources, the decision came as a result of the increase in the number of Jordanian asylum seekers in the UK and Ireland, as well as the exploitation of the electronic permit system by organised crime groups to deceive Jordanian citizens and exploit the Irish border in human smuggling operations. Asylum applications have also been submitted to Ireland by Jordanian citizens claiming to be Palestinians.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates announced that the British Embassy in Amman has officially notified it of the British authorities’ decision to stop working, as of September 10, 2024, with the electronic visa system (ETA), which the British authorities had announced in early February, to facilitate the granting of visas electronically… pic.twitter.com/KK7yLBrguZ

— Jordanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates (@ForeignMinistry) September 10, 2024

Background of the e-Visa system

In February, the Jordanian Foreign Ministry announced that Britain had officially notified Jordanian citizens that they could apply for an e-visa, making it easier for them to visit the UK. The e-visa is valid for two years as long as the passport is valid, and a new application must be submitted when the passport is renewed.

It is noteworthy that Jordan was one of the first countries to benefit from the electronic visa system to enter the United Kingdom.

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