Cameron's assurance that he will not
sanction the controversial 3000 pounds
visa bond, his government last weekend
insisted it would begin the trial this
November. The visa is to restrict some
visitors from India, Nigeria, Kenya, Sri
Lanka, Pakistan and Bangladesh.
They will have to pay the cash bond in
return for visitor visas that allow them to
stay in the UK for up to six months.
At the height of the controversy, David
Cameron's administration assured that he
would not sanction the policy. But last
weekend, FT said: "Britain is pressing
ahead with its trial of a scheme to make
visitors from six countries pay a £3,000
bond, despite an international backlash
and complaints from businesses. The
government said it would begin a pilot in
November to impose visa restrictions on
six Commonwealth nations, including
India and Nigeria, even though David
Cameron poured cold water on the
scheme in June after it provoked uproar
in Delhi."
"The Prime Minister has not cleared this
policy. He doesn't want to do anything
that cuts across the message he took to
India," an ally of Mr. Cameron had told
The Financial Times at the time.
The British government has reportedly
decided to go ahead with it though the
Home Office insisted that it was meant to
target only "high-risk" applicants.
An official told media that the scheme
would be "highly selective", targeting only
"suspicious" applicants.
Under a "pilot" scheme, to be introduced
in November, first-time visitors from six
non-white Commonwealth countries,
including India, Pakistan and Bangladesh,
will be required to deposit a cash bond of
£3,000 for a British visa. It will apply only
to those seeking a six-month visitors'
visa.
According to the government, these six
countries pose the "most significant risk
of abuse'' of visas by their citizens.
"In the long run, we are interested in a
system of bonds that deters overstaying
and recovers costs if a foreign national
has used our public services," the Home
Office said.
The move comes barely weeks after Mr.
Cameron and Deputy Prime Minister Nick
Clegg were reported to have refused to
clear the scheme in its present form,
fearing that the backlash in India and
Nigeria threatened to damage bilateral
relations at a time when Britain is
desperately trying to woo Indian
investors and tourists.
Cameron was reported as saying that he
would "not sanction'' any policy that was
likely to undermine his push for
investment.
The Financial Times said that the u-turn
had provoked anger in Britain's business
circles, who described the plan as an
"insulting deterrent" to wealthy tourists
from countries like India and Nigeria.
"They are urging the government to drop
the pilot, saying the restrictions will
damage their business if Commonwealth
tourists, particularly Nigerians, now the
sixth biggest spenders on luxury goods in
Britain, are put off," it said.
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