LAGOS: Britain's Home Office confirmed Monday it will demand a 3,000-pound ($4,630) refundable bond for visas for “high-risk” visitors from six former colonies including Pakistan.
The bond will be refunded when the visitor leaves Britain. The pilot scheme has brought warnings in Britain and abroad that it will damage trade. Britain said in a statement Monday that it will go ahead with the pilot scheme despite the outrage, charges of discrimination and warnings of retaliation. Other targeted countries include Nigeria, Ghana, India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. British government data shows citizens of those countries applied for more than half a million visa applications last year.
“The pilot will apply to visitor visas, but if the scheme is successful we'd like to be able to apply it on an intelligence-led basis on any visa route and any country,” it said. Nigeria's government made a formal demand last month that Britain renounce the proposal as it was being discussed. Foreign Affairs Minister Olugbenga Ashiru called in the British high commissioner to express “the strong displeasure of the government and people of Nigeria” over the “discriminatory” policy. Ashiru warned the move would “definitely negate” the two country's commitment to double trade by 2014.
Nigeria is Africa's most populous nation and a huge market with its more than 160 million people. British government figures indicate 101,000 Nigerians were issued visas in 2012. There were protests in India last month when British Prime Minister David Cameron visited, causing him to declare that a final decision had not been taken on the policy.
The Home Office said it hopes the bond system deters overstaying of visas and recovers costs of foreign nationals using public services like hospitals and schools. Immigration was a key issue in Cameron's election campaign for his Conservative Party. Cameron has pledged to cut net immigration from 252,000 a year in 2010 to 100,000 a year by 2015.
goooood.. Why only 3000 pounds?? England needs money,
I would actually make that 50,000 pounds or more, so only those who can afford to buy villas and houses the people like Zardaris, Shariffs and others who are in governments and their families can live in London and and rule the England's former colonies from London. Off course whenever we need money. IMF will give the loan these guys to buy such villas.. and that tax payers of those countries will pay the loan back..
Topic: Pakistanis to submit 3,000-pound bonds for British visas says news