LONDON – Indian visitors to the UK may soon be charged a refundable £3,000 fee — over and above the cost of a visa — before they are allowed to enter the country.
The controversial fee or bond is part of the British Government’s declared strategy to crack down on immigration abuse, which includes those visitors who stay on in the UK after their visas expire.
It has the backing of Conservative Home Secretary Theresa May who said: “This is the next step in making sure our immigration system is more selective, bringing down net migration from the hundreds of thousands to the tens of thousands, while still welcoming the brightest and the best to Britain.” The Conservatives’ coalition partners, the Lib Dems, are also in its favour. Last week, Lib Dem leader and Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg explained how visa applicants from high-risk countries would have to pay cash guarantees.
“The challenge isn’t just stopping people coming into Britain illegally, it’s about dealing with individuals who come over legitimately but then become illegal once they’re already here.”
He added, “The bonds would need to be well targeted – so that they don’t unfairly discriminate against particular groups.”
Under the planned scheme those who fail to leave the UK after their visas expire will automatically forfeit the £3,000. A pilot project is expected to start operating from next November when visitors are targeted from India and five other countries, including Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nigeria and Ghana.
They are all designated as high-risk countries with the “most significant risk of abuse.” One small consolation for visitors from these countries is that the bond scheme will only apply to those above the age of 18 who apply for six-month visas. Short-term visitors entering the UK for a few days or weeks will not be affected.
The decision to even consider such a controversial scheme is a sad commentary on how Commonwealth privileges have deteriorated. Until 45 years ago it was still possible to obtain for Commonwealth nationals to obtain a visitor’s visa upon arrival in the UK. This was consistent with the policies of successive British governments to encourage visa free travel as a way of building bridges between Commonwealth countries.
Such idealistic objectives have since been swept aside under pressure from those social and political activists, including a few racists, who argue that the UK is in danger of being swamped under a tidal wave of incoming foreigners.
Critics of government policy say the racism argument still applies because the bond scheme will not affect visitors from predominantly ‘white countries’, such as the US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. Young Americans in particular are notorious for overstaying their British visas, but are rarely challenged or penalised. This was especially true during the Vietnam war when the UK became something of a haven for American anti war activists.
It also remains to be seen whether the introduction of a £3,000 bond will oblige India to apply reciprocal measures, potentially affecting hundreds of thousands of NRIs, who have taken British nationality.
Meanwhile a UK-born NRI musician has accused the organisers of a famous UK music festival of sidelining him to a minor stage because of his race. Nitin Sawhney, who studied piano, guitar, sitar and table as a child, commenting on last week end’s Glastonbury Festival, told the Eastern Eye newspaper, “There can be segregation in the way Asian artists are perceived. I was on the jazz and world stage at Glastonbury for about 10 years. I sold just as much…if not more than the acts called ‘mainstream.’ Because I was Asian, I was put on a stage that wasn’t the same.”
A pilot project is expected to start operating from next November when visitors coming from India and five other countries, including Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nigeria and Ghana, would be targeted
These nations have been designated as high-risk countries with the “most significant risk of abuse”
One small consolation for visitors from these countries is that the bond scheme will only apply to those above the age of 18 who apply for six-month visas
Short-term visitors entering the UK for a few days or weeks will not be affected
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