The UK Government’s decision to go ahead with its pilot project of imposing a cash bond of Rs 2.75 lakh (£3,000) on visitors from six “high risk” countries including India has spurred the Government into action to stall the move.
The Ministry of External Affairs and the Commerce & Industry Ministry are jointly strategising on ways to convince the UK to drop the pilot, to begin in November that would seriously obstruct movement of bona fide travellers, a Commerce Department official told Business Line .
Commerce Minister Anand Sharma, on Tuesday, met officials from the MEA to discuss the best way to deal with the issue.
“The visa bond issue is one that concerns both the Commerce Department and the MEA. The MEA would apply diplomatic pressure on UK to urge it to drop the discriminatory bond requirement while the Commerce Department will discuss the fallout of the decision on bilateral economic and trade ties,” the official said.
The UK Government proposes to impose the bond selectively on visitors from six countries including India, Nigeria, Pakistan, Kenya, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.
While the MEA has not yet been officially informed about the move, India conveyed its serious concerns about the proposed move at a Consular Level meeting with officials from the British Foreign Office on July 25.
“The British officers were told that the proposed move was not in conformity with our existing relationships. UK officials conveyed the message that the move was still work in progress and it will be better if further consultations were held at a higher level,” MEA sources told Business Line .
Sharma had already voiced his protest against the proposed move when it was first announced by the UK Government in June. He was assured by Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, Vince Cable, that he had discussed the matter with the British Home Secretary, that a final view on the matter had not been taken.
Cable, on Monday, criticised the Government’s proposed move and said that it sent out a wrong message about the country.