M A I N   N E W S

Britain allays fears on visa bond
Tribune News Service

NEW DELHI, Feb 2 — The British Government sources clarified here today that the hullabaloo over the reported move to impose a £ 10,000 bond on visitors to the British Isles from the Indian subcontinent if immigration officials suspect that the visitor has intentions to settle illegally has been caused due to a premature leakage in British media about a move which was at a rather early stage of consideration.

Talking to a select group of mediapersons, visiting UK Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs Keith Vaz and the British High Commissioner, Sir Rob Young, said no decision had been taken “to impose £ 10,000 bond on Asian entrants”.

Mr Vaz, a leader of the Indian community in the UK, said a suggestion had come from leaders of the Asian community in the UK, who felt that since the right to appeal against decisions to reject visa applications had been withdrawn, an alternate arrangement should be made by which the Asians settled in the British Isles could ensure the presence of their near and dear ones on social occasions in the family by furnishing a bond which would be a guarantee against the entry of illegal immigrants in the garb of bona fide relatives visiting Asians settled in the UK.

Union Home Minister L.K. Advani with British Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs Keith Vaz at North Block in New Delhi on Wednesday. — PTI photo

The visiting minister, who is in charge of the European affairs, as well as the overall in charge of the counsellor and visa sections of the British missions, said that as a result of the recommendation made by the leaders of the Asian community and contact made by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) with immigrant organisations in the UK, it was decided to conduct a pilot study to assess whether such a scheme was workable.

The countries where such pilot study would be carried out had not been identified yet, Mr Vaz said. It would be carried out in more than one country and the locations would be spread over more than one continent, the minister emphasised to drive home the point that it was not a move aimed at discriminating against visitors from India and Bangladesh, as per the present perception caused by a report published in London’s Sunday Telegraph which were reproduced by a national daily in India.

The sources clarified that if and when a decision to carry out a pilot study was taken, the British High Commissioner or the British Ambassador (as the case may be) in the host country would at first hold discussions with the host government and the pilot study would be undertaken only after consent of the government concerned had been obtained.

Mr Vaz, who was initially scheduled to visit Chandigarh, told The Tribune that though he could not make it this time, he looked forward to visiting the City Beautiful in future. In this context, he referred to the move being initiated for granting visas to the visitors to the UK from Chandigarh and Ahmedabad, in addition to the present arrangement in the four metros.