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Security risks force visa requirement
Juhel Browne [email protected]
Friday, July 11th 2008
British Home Secretary Jacqui Smith declared yesterday that nationals from Trinidad and Tobago are now among those from 11 countries who pose an illegal immigration, crime and security risk.
And unless that risk is significantly reduced within the next six months, for the first time ever all Trinidad and Tobago nationals visiting the United Kingdom will have to apply for a visa to make the trip.
Smith, who is responsible for national security, made the announcement in a statement she delivered in the British House of Commons yesterday less than two weeks after the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM), which is to be held in this country next year November, was launched in Port of Spain.
The CHOGM is to be attended by the United Kingdom's Queen Elizabeth II, the head of the Commonwealth and leaders from 51 other countries.
Smith and British Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs Secretary David Miliband wrote to Prime Minister Patrick Manning earlier this week informing him of the new development.
Contacted yesterday, British High Commission political and press officer Brett Bulling said in addition, British High Commissioner Eric Jenkinson met with Foreign Affairs Minister Paula Gopee-Scoon on Wednesday to discuss the issue.
Gopee-Scoon is expected to address the matter at a news conference today.
Smith's statement yesterday, which she co-wrote with Miliband, focused on a Visa Waiver Test that had been carried out to assess which countries would be required to have its nationals apply for visas to visit the United Kingdom.
"The countries we are working with through the mitigation process are: Bolivia, Botswana, Brazil, Lesotho, Malaysia, Mauritius, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Trinidad and Tobago and Venezuela. Promising and constructive dialogue has already begun with a number of countries but more is required," Smith said.
This means that Trinidad and Tobago and the other ten countries Smith mentioned could join a list of more than 100 countries whose nationals must apply for visas to travel to the United Kingdom.
As it stands now most Commonwealth citizens are not required to obtain a visa to enter the UK.
Smith said yesterday the Visa Waiver Test, which was announced in March 2007, is now in its "final stage"and measured travel from every country beyond the European Economic Area and Switzerland was "against a range of criteria including illegal immigration, crime and security concerns.
"The Test also indicated that a number of changes were possible for countries currently with visa status. Over the next six months, we will study the options further to see how the visa process can be more closely calibrated to the risks nationals from these countries pose, with consequent benefits for legitimate travellers. We expect the first consequent changes from the Test to be introduced in 2009," Smith said.
Bulling said yesterday that while he could not disclose any of the details of the Visa Waiver Test, one of the issues it examines is the issuing of passports based on international standards to prevent passport fraud which can be a launching pad for other crimes.
He said the British Government will be "working very closely" with the Trinidad and Tobago Government on ensuring this country's nationals would not have to apply for a visa to visit the United Kingdom from 2009. The Immigration Division is currently issuing new machine readable passports to persons whose passports expire at the end of 2008. All passports must be changed by the end of 2009.
Security risks force visa requirement
Juhel Browne [email protected]
Friday, July 11th 2008
British Home Secretary Jacqui Smith declared yesterday that nationals from Trinidad and Tobago are now among those from 11 countries who pose an illegal immigration, crime and security risk.
And unless that risk is significantly reduced within the next six months, for the first time ever all Trinidad and Tobago nationals visiting the United Kingdom will have to apply for a visa to make the trip.
Smith, who is responsible for national security, made the announcement in a statement she delivered in the British House of Commons yesterday less than two weeks after the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM), which is to be held in this country next year November, was launched in Port of Spain.
The CHOGM is to be attended by the United Kingdom's Queen Elizabeth II, the head of the Commonwealth and leaders from 51 other countries.
Smith and British Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs Secretary David Miliband wrote to Prime Minister Patrick Manning earlier this week informing him of the new development.
Contacted yesterday, British High Commission political and press officer Brett Bulling said in addition, British High Commissioner Eric Jenkinson met with Foreign Affairs Minister Paula Gopee-Scoon on Wednesday to discuss the issue.
Gopee-Scoon is expected to address the matter at a news conference today.
Smith's statement yesterday, which she co-wrote with Miliband, focused on a Visa Waiver Test that had been carried out to assess which countries would be required to have its nationals apply for visas to visit the United Kingdom.
"The countries we are working with through the mitigation process are: Bolivia, Botswana, Brazil, Lesotho, Malaysia, Mauritius, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Trinidad and Tobago and Venezuela. Promising and constructive dialogue has already begun with a number of countries but more is required," Smith said.
This means that Trinidad and Tobago and the other ten countries Smith mentioned could join a list of more than 100 countries whose nationals must apply for visas to travel to the United Kingdom.
As it stands now most Commonwealth citizens are not required to obtain a visa to enter the UK.
Smith said yesterday the Visa Waiver Test, which was announced in March 2007, is now in its "final stage"and measured travel from every country beyond the European Economic Area and Switzerland was "against a range of criteria including illegal immigration, crime and security concerns.
"The Test also indicated that a number of changes were possible for countries currently with visa status. Over the next six months, we will study the options further to see how the visa process can be more closely calibrated to the risks nationals from these countries pose, with consequent benefits for legitimate travellers. We expect the first consequent changes from the Test to be introduced in 2009," Smith said.
Bulling said yesterday that while he could not disclose any of the details of the Visa Waiver Test, one of the issues it examines is the issuing of passports based on international standards to prevent passport fraud which can be a launching pad for other crimes.
He said the British Government will be "working very closely" with the Trinidad and Tobago Government on ensuring this country's nationals would not have to apply for a visa to visit the United Kingdom from 2009. The Immigration Division is currently issuing new machine readable passports to persons whose passports expire at the end of 2008. All passports must be changed by the end of 2009.