Jamaica - Visa Regime Aims To Cut Delays

Home Office Press Release 8 January 2003

Jamaican nationals travelling to the UK will be required from midnight tonight to have visas, the Home Office announced today.

The visa requirement, will help prevent delays of two hours or more at UK immigration control for people arriving on Jamaican flights and so make it easier for genuine Jamaican visitors to come to the UK. The long delays are a result of the large number of Jamaican nationals refused entry at ports. Significant numbers abscond once granted temporary admission to the UK.

Announcing the change Home Secretary David Blunkett said:

"For some years the number of Jamaican passengers being refused entry on arrival in the UK has been increasing - causing frustration and delays to genuine passengers of more than two hours.

"This is a real problem and the consequences of this abuse of the immigration system are felt mainly by genuine visitors from Jamaica.

"The UK has strong links with Jamaica which contribute to the richness and diversity of our country. Visas will not stop genuine visitors from Jamaica coming to the UK but this will mean they will no longer spend hours at Immigration Control on arrival.

"At our main ports of entry in the run up to Christmas, Jamaican nationals accounted for around 20% of all passengers refused. I have also become concerned about the unacceptably high number who come to the UK as visitors and then abscond - more than 150 a month during the first half 2002.

"Figures from one airline demonstrate the worrying extent of this problem where children are concerned. Last year only half of those who arrived at Gatwick North went home again.

"I understand that some will have concerns about these new arrangements but effective border controls are an essential part of proper immigration control."

Visa programmes are an important tool in effective border control operations. The Home Office, in conjunction with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, keeps visa policies around the world under constant review to ensure that they are still appropriate and responsive to changing situations.

The new arrangements will take effect from 00.01 on 9 January, with transitional arrangements in place to assist bona fide visitors who are travelling to the UK directly from Jamaica, who bought their tickets for travel on or before 8 January and who will arrive in the UK before 23.59 hours on 14 January.

Notes to editors:

1. In 2001, six per cent of all Jamaican nationals arriving in the UK were refused entry (3 340 out of 55,600 passengers). Between January and June 2002 more than 1000 Jamaican nationals absconded after being granted temporary admission.

2. In the six weeks to December 17 the total number of Jamaican nationals refused leave to enter at the 12 busiest ports (Heathrow Terminals 1 - 4, Gatwick North & South, Waterloo, Stansted, Dover, Coquelles/Cheriton, Manchester Terminals 1 & 2) for the period 1 November to 17 December was 1233. This represents 19.6% of all passengers refused entry at those ports over the same period (6301).

3. Last year British Airways recorded the arrival of 1,202 unaccompanied minors arriving at Gatwick North from the Kingston flight. During the same period only 592 departed.

4. The White Paper, Secure Borders Safe Haven, set out the Government's plans for an efficient end-to-end asylum system (Home Office press notice 038/02, 7 February 2002). It is available on the Home office website at www.homeoffice.gov.uk.

5. The Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act received Royal Assent on 7 November 2002 (Home Office press notice 294/02).

6. Visas can be applied for at the British High Commission in Kingston, or for Jamaicans resident in other countries from the local visa issuing diplomatic mission. The cost of a visit visa is £36.

Source for this page: Home Office website

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