UK Will Increase Foreign Travel Restrictions

UK will increase foreign travel restrictions and Brits returning from high-risk areas will be forced to quarantine in a hotel for 10 days

Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Home Secretary Priti Patel have announced a wave of tougher travel restrictions on Wednesday, January 27, which could prevent thousands of Brits from going abroad for the foreseeable future. The Home Secretary confirmed that people returning to the UK from some 22 ‘red list’ countries, including Portugal, Brazil, Mauritius and South Africa will be forced to quarantine in a hotel for 10 days and pay up to £1,500 for the privilege. In addition, she said the government plans to crack down on people from the UK travelling abroad for non-essential reasons, stressing that going on holiday will not be permitted.

Speaking to government ministers, Ms Patel said: “And today I am announcing further action to strengthen the health measures we already have at the border, but to reduce passenger flow so that only a small number of people for whom it is absolutely essential to travel are doing so and therefore reducing the risk to our world-leading vaccine programme.”

“Going on holiday is not a valid reason to travel,” she added.

The Prime Minister echoed her sentiments, clarifying that a full list of countries on the ‘red list’ will be published later today (January 27) along with a start date for the new regulations.

Boris Johnson told the Commons: “I want to make clear that under the stay at home regulations, it is illegal to leave home to travel abroad for leisure purposes and we will enforce this at ports and airports by asking people why they are leaving and instructing them to return home if they do not have a valid reason to travel.

“We have also banned all travel from 22 countries where there is a risk of known variants including South Africa, Portugal and South American nations.

“And in order to reduce the risk posed by UK nationals and residents returning home from these countries, I can announce that we will require all such arrivals who cannot be refused entry to isolate in government provided accommodation, such as hotels, for 10 days without exception.

“They will be met at the airport and transported directly into quarantine. The Department of Health and Social Care is working to establish these facilities as quickly as possible.”

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