By Damion Mitchell, Staff ReporterSINCE THE new regime for visiting the United Kingdom was imposed on January 9, more than 10,000 Jamaicans have been granted visas to that country, the British High Commission reported yesterday.
However, the Commission was unable to say how many persons who left for the United Kingdom returned within the specified period for which they were permitted to visit.
Mark Waller, press and public affairs officer at the High Commission, said that between January and June 2002, more than 1,000 Jamaicans "ran off" in the United Kingdom.
Additionally, he said for the same period Jamaicans represented 20 per cent of the number of passengers who were refused entry to that country.
He said the High Commission would provide the figures indicating the number of Jamaicans who have stayed in the United Kingdom within their respective permitted period, as soon as the analysis is done.
Majority of visitors to the United Kingdom are granted six-month visas, Mr. Waller said.
Figures released by the High Commission show a steady increase in the number of visa applications since January. According to Mr. Waller, up to July 31, the High Commission had received 18,045 visa applications. The majority of these were for family visits, the remainder being for educational and commercial purposes.
At the time of its introduction in January, the High Commission said the regime was necessary to curtail the number of illegal Jamaican immigrants to the country. Also, it said the time spent in immigration departments at British airports would be reduced.
"Now passengers spend between 15 and 20 minutes at immigration down from one to two hours before the visa requirement," Mr. Waller noted.
He declined to comment on whether the visa requirement had impacted on Jamaicans visiting the United Kingdom on illegal missions.
TIMES REPORT
On Wednesday, The London Times newspaper reported that Jamaicans are the largest group of foreign nationals in British jails, with the majority of women offenders being arrested for drug trafficking.
According to the newspaper, more than 400 Jamaican inmates were in one south London jail.
Prior to the mandatory visa requirement for Jamaicans visiting the UK, passengers only required a plane ticket and a valid passport.
