THE EDITOR, Sir:
THE WRITING had been on the wall for a very long time. And, despite vigorous denials by the British Immigration authorities, the praise given to the effectiveness of the recently British-funded Ionscan machines installed at our two major airports and the numerous visits and exchange of information between the Security Ministry and the Home Office, we are now faced with the harsh reality that we now need Entry Clearance Visas for the United Kingdom!
To drive home the severity of the situation one only has to consider that its implementation took place at midnight Wednesday.
No grace period was given, it was just sneaked upon us like a thief in the night. It is ironic that this is happening more than 50 years after our forefathers arrived here on Windrush.
The stigma attached to Jamaicans here is so bad that we have resorted to imploring our families who are coming to visit us to avoid Air Jamaica and Heathrow Airport at all cost. Meeting relatives at Heathrow can be such a traumatic and depressing experience and many times the waiting party who waits for up to six hours is not even allowed to speak to those relatives who had been denied entry before they are 'rounded up' and sent back on the next available flight.
It would be interesting to see what the late columnist, Morris Cargill would have made of all this hypocrisy had he been alive. Since the application fee for a UK visa is reported to be 36 pounds sterling let us see whether the British High Commission do us the same thing that the US Embassy does by confiscating our hard-earned money and never give us a visa. Trying times are really ahead.
The effect the new requirement will have on this little, small island of ours as a whole will be felt in just a few days. On the economic front it could spell dire consequences for the ailing national airline, as it is no secret that the UK route is a very profitable one indeed.
I foresee Air Jamaica flying to Britain with many empty seats in the short run with the possibility of the number of flights being reduced in the long run.
However, we can gain consolation by knowing that we are a hard-working bunch of people accustomed to austerity and deft at finding our niche as we strive to overcome setbacks and obstacles placed in our pathway.
Having said this, however, it is full time now for the bad eggs here to take stock of their actions and make it a priority to stop defacing the good names of their fellow Jamaicans.
I am, etc.,
DURANT THOMPSON
Crashog@yahoo.com
London, United Kingdom
Via Go-Jamaica
