No final position on UK visa bonds yet –Envoy

[Mirror]

The British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Dr Andrew Pocock said yesterday that his government was yet to take a final position on the proposed visa bonds for short time visitors to the UK from selected countries, including Nigeria.

The proposed policy targets travelers with six months visa from Nigeria, Ghana, Sri Lanka, Pakistan and India, whose citizens are termed "high risk."

They are to pay £3,000 (N750,000) before entering the UK. The amount, according to the new policy, is to ensure that such visitors do not over stay their visits as those who do would be made to forfeit such deposits.

The envoy, who met with Foreign Affairs Minister, Ambassador Olugbenga Ashiru in Abuja following the outrage which greeted the proposed policy, disclosed that the British Government has announced that it intends to undertake a small scale trial of the use of financial bonds as a way of tackling immigration abuse.

"The details of a pilot scheme are still being worked out. "No final decision has been made. If the pilot were to go ahead in Nigeria, it would affect only a very small number of the highest risk visitors.

"The vast majority would not be required to pay a bond. Those paying bonds would receive the bond back, if they abided by the terms of their visa. "Let me put this in perspective. Over 180,000 Nigerians apply to visit the UK each year. About 70 per cent or around 125,000, of those applicants are successful.

"Travel between our two countries is a key part of our strong cultural and business relationship. Financial bonds would be focussed on only a tiny minority of potential abusers.

"It would not be a '£3000 visa charge' as some media reporting has alleged.

"As soon as more details of the policy have been decided, we will inform the Nigerian Government and public fully and officially, in the spirit of our long standing friendship, and our wish to help bonafide Nigerian visitors to work, study or do business in the United Kingdom," Pocock said in a statement in Abuja after the meeting.

National Mirror

[Folami David]

Let's just wait and see, we simply hope things will take place very soon. A decison has to be taken as soon as possible.