‘Racist & biased’: Indians slam new UK travel curbs

‘Racist & biased’: Indians slam new UK travel curbs

Naomi Canton

London:21.09.2021

The UK government’s new international travel rules, which do not recognise people vaccinated in India as being “fully vaccinated”, have been blasted as “offensive”, “bizarre” and “racist”. The new rules mean people vaccinated in India will still have to home quarantine for 10 days in the UK when those vaccinated in scores of other countries will not.

Aware of the backlash on social media after Congress leader Shashi Tharoor pulled out of a Cambridge Union debate and his own book launch events in Britain to protest against the latest curbs, the UK announced it was willing to engage with the Indian government to resolve the matter. Tharoor tweeted: “It is offensive to ask fully vaccinated Indians to quarantine.” On September 17, the UK had announced new rules for international travel to replace the current system of red, amber and green.

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‘Fully vaccinated’ don’t require home quarantine

A British high commission spokesperson in New Delhi told TOI: “We are engaging with the government of India to explore how we could expand UK recognition of vaccine certification to people vaccinated by a relevant public health body in India.” On September 17, the UK had announced new rules for international travel to replace the current system of red, amber and green. The new rules divide countries into red and the rest of the world and come into effect at 4 am (UK time) on October 4. Whilst the red list rules will remain the same regardless of vaccination status, the rules for people arriving in the UK from the “rest of the world” – which includes India – will differ depending on whether the traveller is “fully vaccinated” or not.

Those deemed as “fully vaccinated” will no longer have to home quarantine for 10 days, no longer need to take a pre-departure test nor take a day 8 Covid-19 test. They just need to take a Covid-19 test on day 2 after they arrive.