THE UK AIMS to implement measures that will require visitors and migrants from the European Union coming to the region, including Northern Ireland, to provide both their face and fingerprint biometrics.

However, there are plans to exempt people from the Republic of Ireland from having to do so.

The new Minister of State for Immigration, Robert Jenrick, outlined the plans in response to parliamentary questions from Stephen Farry, an MP from the Alliance Party of Northern Ireland.

Jenrick said: “Our long-term aim is that all visitors and migrants to the UK will provide both their face and fingerprint biometrics under a single global immigration system.

“As part of the ETA (Electronic Travel Authorisation) application process, applicants will be required to submit their biometrics.

“At the outset, however, we will only require facial images from ETA applicants, until such time as there is a technological solution which will allow them to self-upload fingerprints of the required quality, as we will not require them to visit a visa application centre to give their fingerprints.”

However, the Conservative Party MP said that Irish citizens “will not be required to obtain an ETA”.

Jenrick added: “All other non-British and non-Irish nationals arriving in the UK, including those crossing the land border into Northern Ireland, need to enter in line with the UK’s immigration framework: this will include the requirement to obtain an ETA when it is introduced.

“However, as now, the UK will not operate routine immigration controls on journeys from within the Common Travel Area, with no immigration controls whatsoever on the Ireland-Northern Ireland land border.

“The UK is currently working with Ireland to consider whether there is scope for a workable UK/Ireland data-sharing solution to determine whether a person is a lawful resident of Ireland, and so could potentially be exempt from the ETA requirement for travel into the UK.”