Colombia responds to UK visa restrictions with warning to UK visitors

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Colombia's president has hit back at the British government, saying he would impose visa requirements on British citizens in response to the British government's decision to impose visa rules on visitors to Colombia.

A surge in the number of Colombians seeking asylum in the UK has prompted the government to impose visa rules on visitors from the UK.

The changes, which came into effect at 3pm on Tuesday, mean visitors to Colombia will now need a visa to travel to the UK.

Colombian nationals will also need a transit visa if they need to transit through the UK to travel to another country.

On Tuesday evening, Colombian leader Gustavo Petro said his country would adopt similar rules based on the principle of reciprocity.

In a post on X, he wrote: If the UK resumed the need for visas for Colombians, I should say that, on the principle of reciprocity, the Colombian government would request visas for British citizens wishing to come to Colombia. .

The move means plans to allow Colombians to apply for an Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) from Wednesday to travel to the UK from January 8 will no longer be introduced.

There will be a four-week visa-free transition period for those who have already booked travel to the UK before 3pm on Tuesday, with visitors expected to arrive in the UK no later than 3pm on Christmas Eve.

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said the decision was taken in response to a continued rise in asylum claims since November 2022 and higher visitor rejection rates at the border.

In a written statement to parliament, she said: We have taken this action in response to an increase in the number of Colombian nationals traveling to the UK for purposes other than those permitted under the Visitors Regulations following the abolition of the visa requirement in November 2022.

This includes a significant and sustained increase in asylum applications and a high rate of rejections at the border due to people traveling without intent to visit for an authorized purpose.

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Home Secretary Yvette Cooper (PA) (PA Wire)

The increase in claims and denials has significantly increased operational pressure at the border, resulting in frontline resources being diverted from other operational priorities, Mr Cooper said. She emphasized that the decision was made solely for immigration and border security reasons.

Relations with Colombia remain strong and friendly. “Any decision to change visa status is not taken lightly and we are regularly reviewing our border and immigration systems to ensure they continue to serve the UK’s national interests,” he added.

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Prime Minister Keir Starmer (left) holding a bilateral meeting with Colombian President Gustavo Petro at the G20 summit held at the Museum of Modern Art in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil last November (Stefan Rousseau/PA) (PA Wire)

In a radio interview on Tuesday, Colombia's ambassador to the UK, Roy Barreras, said more than 940 Colombians had applied for asylum in the UK this year, with some reportedly relying on travel agencies to teach them to cheat when applying for asylum. . The ambassador said only six Colombians had applied for asylum in the UK in 2021.

Over the past three years, hundreds of thousands of Colombians have fled to Europe and the United States. The economic downturn and increased violence in some parts of the country, particularly by rebel groups and drug traffickers, have led many people to seek safety and opportunity abroad.

In 2022, U.S. Border Patrol agents apprehended more than 165,000 Colombians at the Mexican border. This number decreased slightly to 155,000 the following year.

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