UK Enforces Transit Visa Requirement for Georgian and Russian Citizens
The UK added Georgia and Russia to the list of countries whose nationals require a transit visa when passing through the UK on their way to another country, under a recent amendment to the Immigration (Passenger Transit Visa) Order 2014, which came into force on September 8.
Notably, this particular order came into force just one day after it was presented to the Parliament, as opposed to the normal 21 days due to serious concerns about an increase in the number of Georgian and Russian nationals traveling to the UK and potentially seeking asylum on arrival and to prevent their sudden influx into the country, before the amendment enforcement date.
Reportedly, since 2018, Georgian and Russian nationals have consistently been among the top nationalities exploiting the UK’s transit provisions to claim asylum. The Home Office believes that requiring these nationals to obtain a transit visa before visiting the UK will deter them from exploiting transit claims to seek asylum upon arrival.
In response to this news, the Georgian Foreign Ministry released a statement to the media, noting that based on this amendment, the visa requirement concerns not only Georgia, but also100 other countries, including Moldova, Ukraine, Turkey, North Macedonia, South Africa, China, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Montenegro, Bosnia.
This order does not pertain to Georgian or Russian nationals transiting through the UK who arrive in the UK on or before October 5, 2023 and who at the same time had already booked their journey prior to the enactment of this order on Friday, September 8.
Also Read:
- 18/08/2023 – Switzerland Restricts Schengen Visas for Holders of Russian Passports in Occupied Georgian Regions
This post is also available in: ქართული (Georgian) Русский (Russian)
