UK ends Namibia’s visa-free travel privileges
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UK ends Namibia’s visa-free travel privileges. Why?
The United Kingdom has revoked visa-free travel arrangements for passport holders from neighbouring Namibia.
UK ends Namibia’s visa-free travel privileges
Image by Pexels
South Africa’s neighbour Namibia has now suffered the same fate as South Africa concerning entry restrictions for the United Kingdom.
Namibia has had its visa-free travel status removed by the United Kingdom’s Secretary of State for the Home Department.
AFFECTED COUNTRIES
Suella Braverman announced on 19 July that 5 nations, including Namibia had lost their right to visa-free entry for travel to the UK.
Effective immediately the UK has imposed a visa requirement on all visitors from Dominica, Honduras, Namibia, Timor-Leste and Vanuatu.
UK ENDS VISA-FREE REGIME
This means that passport holders from Namibia will no longer enjoy convenient entry arrangements for travel to the United Kingdom.
They will be required to obtain visas for tourism and visitor stays prior to travelling to the UK.
Namibian nationals must also obtain a Direct Airside Transit Visa if they intend to transit via the UK on connecting flights to another country.
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ASYLUM SEEKERS
There has been a significant increase in the number of UK asylum applications being made by nationals from Honduras and Namibia.
The statement mentions that increasing numbers of visitors from the two nations have abused the provision to visit the UK for a limited period as non-visa nationals in order to claim asylum.
SECURITY RISKS FOR UK
Dominica’s and Vanuatu’s operation of a Citizenship by Investment scheme has shown clear and evident abuse of the scheme, including the granting of citizenship to individuals known to pose a risk to the UK.
South Africa too lost its visa-free travel privileges with the United Kingdom in 2009.
The United Kingdom imposed visa requirements on SA passport holders in January 2009.
This came after warning South Africa in July 2008 that its passport security measures were not up to standard. The UK also said that fraudulent SA passports posed safety and security threats to the UK.
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