UK terms Indians as “High Risk” Visitors

Now getting a Visa to UK will be costly for Indians as they will have to pay a hefty cash bond of £3,000 (Rs 2.8 lakh). The step has been taken to make their immigration system more selective, bringing down the number of migration from thousands to hundreds.

India expressed a serious concern over the new Visa norms proposed by the British government. The Home Affairs Select Committee is likely to raise the issue with UK home secretary Theresa during the India-UK consular meeting, expected on July 16, calling the move ‘discriminatory’.

The bond of £3,000 (Rs 2.8 lakh) is a huge amount for the Indians applying for the UK Visa in various categories. The new scheme will come into effect from November for a year targeting to cut down the number of migrants coming from at least six countries including India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Nigeria and Ghana because these are considered “high-risk” visitors. However, this will not be applicable for children under 18.

The Indian external affairs ministry has sought explanation on the issue from the Indian high commission in London.

The intention behind the new immigration scheme is to disqualify the number of migrants who come to UK every year and later settle down there even after expiry of their visa, welcoming the brightest and best candidates to Britain.

It can be noted that the British government has always been changing its Visa norms for the security reasons for which the Indian applicants have been facing a lot of trouble in their visa processing.