The Council for Travel and Tourism is to meet with UK immigration officials on Wednesday to state its opposition to the suggestion that the industry should help pay for selected immigration services.
The Council expressed concern over a paragraph in last year’s White Paper – Fairer, Faster and Firmer, which proposed that if ports and airports wanted a fast-track immigration channel apart from the EU and the rest of the world channels – for example, a Commonwealth channel – they must fund it.
Council executive director Barry Goddard said: “We regard the immigration service as being a funding responsibility of the Government.The suggestion the travel industry should make a greater contribution towards paying for it concerns us.”