Channel Islanders have had their valid documentation rejected by some airlines while travelling through the UK, and in some cases have had no choice but to spend unnecessary money on ETA documentation just to board flights.
Channel Islanders put in Difficult Position
The Home Affairs Minister for Jersey, Deputy Mary Le Hegarat has confirmed that steps are being taken to fix this issue, which has already affected a number of people with settled status in Jersey and Guernsey.
Multiple reports have emerged of Channel Islanders from Jersey and Guernsey having their valid documentation rejected by airlines while trying to board flights and return to their homes. Deputy Mary Le Hegarat said this was as a result of airline staff misinterpreting border regulations, and disregarding valid Jersey documentation due to it being produced in physical format. She went on to describe how the unique immigration papers issued by the Crown Dependencies may be mistaken or misunderstood:
“Some overseas airline staff may not understand these to be valid, as airlines now generally expect digital immigration records following the UK’s introduction of e-visas. As a result, some passengers with valid Jersey-issued status are being wrongly denied travel.”
As a result of this misreading, a number of people have been forced to spend extra money on digital documentation that they should not have needed to travel. This digital documentation, referred to as an electronic travel authorisation (ETA), acts as a digital permission slip to enter the UK, and is used for travel to the UK for tourism, visiting family, or certain other reasons. An ETA can allow a person to remain in the UK for up to 6 months.
However, these ETAs should not impact those with settled status in the Channel Islands, as well as those with British or Irish passports. While they are quoted on the government website as costing £20 – with a warning that some other websites may charge more to apply – there have been reports of people paying up to £170 in emergency situations. Advocate for the Portuguese community in Jersey Claudia Alves, has been sharing information and advice about the situation online via her Facebook account. She commented:
“The only option some people have is to apply for an ETA, but that fundamentally is wrong because an ETA is an electronic travel authorisation for people coming on holiday but we’re residents – we’re not on holiday.”
Working on Solutions
Deputy Mary Le Hegarat said in a statement on 13 April that although the introduction of ETA’s has been a necessary and important step in strengthening border security for Jersey and the Common Travel Area, it has inadvertently created a frustrating but nonetheless temporary situation.
She assured that the UK Home Office and the Jersey Customs and Immigration Service (JCIS) had made an effort to contact flight carriers and airport handling staff to confirm the validation of Jersey-issued permissions. Included in this contact has been the provision of detailed instructions for airline and border staff in recognising and dealing with these valid documents.
Mary Le Hegarat concluded her statement by affirming that the collaboration between the JCIS and the Home Office aims to digitalise Jersey-issued permissions between mid 2026 and early 2027.
Have you been impacted by the introduction of ETA’s? Let us know in the comments.
