UK to scrap 3,000-Pound security bond for Lankans, Indians etc NEW DELHI, November 3: Britain is to scrap the controversial 3,000-pound security bond for some high-risk foreign visitors, including those from Sri Lanka and India, the British Home Office has confirmed in London. The scheme, announced by Home Secretary Theresa May in June, was to come into force this month. A Home Office spokesman confirmed a report in The Sunday Times of London today that the policy will be scrapped.Hugo Swire, Britains Minister of state for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs told the Press Trust of India (PTI) news agency recently that no decision was taken on the visa bond scheme. The decision is thought to have been taken after Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg threatened to block it. India had also expressed its concern to the UK government both at the ministerial and official levels. The British government was planning to pilot a scheme from November, targeted at visitors from at least six countries, comprising four from Asia (India, Bangladesh, Pakistan and Sri Lanka) and two from Africa (Ghana and Nigeria). The aim of the scheme was to reduce the number of people from these socalled high-risk countries staying on in the UK after their short-term visas expire. Visitors to Britain aged 18 and over from these six countries were to have paid a 3,000-pound cash bond before arrival in the UK which would have been forfeited if they failed make the return trip. Last year, 2,96,000 people granted six-month visas were from India, 101,000 from Nigeria, 53,000 from Pakistan and 14,000 each were from Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. A similar scheme has also been rejected in Canada amid claims that it was unlawful because it discriminated against categories of immigrants. island.lk/index.php?page_cat=article-details&page=article-details&code_title=91447
Posted on: Mon, 04 Nov 2013 02:38:25 +0000