UK government scraps £3,000 security bond against Ghana, others

Visitors from Ghana and four other countries to the United Kingdom will no longer be required pay a £3,000 security bond before entering that country.

This is because the UK Government's plans to force visitors from “high risk” countries to pay the £3,000 security bond to enter the UK have been scrapped, the Sunday Times has reported.

UK Home Secretary Theresa May’s scheme was due to be piloted from this month as a way of deterring temporary visitors from staying on in the UK after their visas expire.

Visitors from Ghana, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Nigeria would have been required to pay the deposit for a six-month visa, but the scheme has now been scrapped.

Deputy UK Prime Minister and leader of the Liberal Democrats, Nick Clegg had threatened to block the plans to levy a £3,000 security bond from visa applicants, as he played up policy differences with Conservative coalition partners.

Speaking at his party conference in Glasgow, and under fire from activists for being too compliant with the policies of the Conservatives, Mr. Clegg was at pains to highlight the divisions between the two parties.

Mr Clegg told BBC1’s Andrew Marr Show “of course in a coalition I can stop things” and added: “I am absolutely not interested in a bond which becomes an indiscriminate way of clobbering people who want to [visit the UK]."

Some Ghanaians were incensed by the announcement of the plan especially given that only the week before that announcement, President John Mahama had held bilateral talks with Prime Minister David Cameron at No. 10 Downing Street.

Mr. Cameron praised Ghana's democratic credentials only for his government to list Ghana amongst 'high-risk' countries and to contemplate imposing a £3,000 security bond on Ghanaian visitors to the UK.

The Indian Chamber of Commerce issued a strongly-worded statement condemning the plans and warning they had the potential to harm trade relations between the two countries.

The widespread condemnation, coupled with the threat by the Liberal Democrats may have influenced the UK government's decision to scrap the plans.

Source: Myjoyonline.com/Ghana