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UK revokes visa-free travel for T&T
…cites significant increase in Trinidadians seeking asylum
(TRINIDAD GUARDIAN) The United Kingdom Government has announced that, with immediate effect, all nationals of Trinidad and Tobago will now require a visa to enter the UK, including for short visits. The decision, made public on 12 March 2025, comes in response to what the UK Government described as a “significant increase” in T&T nationals arriving as visitors and then claiming asylum.
The UK Government, the new visa requirement is intended to address the misuse of the Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) system
According to an official release from the UK Government, the new visa requirement is intended to address the misuse of the Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) system and to protect the integrity of the UK’s immigration process. “The UK’s relationship with Trinidad and Tobago remains a strong and friendly one,” the statement said, but added that the decision “has not been taken lightly.”
A requirement for transit visas will also be introduced from 00:01 on 13 March. However, a six-week transition period has been implemented. Travellers who booked their travel and obtained an ETA before the changes will be allowed to enter the UK without a visa until 15:00 BST on 23 April 2025. Those already in the UK will not be affected during the remainder of their stay but will need a visa for future visits. British High Commissioner to Trinidad and Tobago Jon Dean said the change aligns T&T with many other visa-required countries with which the UK maintains close ties. “We understand that travel is important for families, businesses, and cultural connections,” Dean said. “The introduction of visitor visas is designed to support safe and secure travel while ensuring the UK’s borders remain protected.”
Trinidad and Tobago nationals must now apply for a visa online through the UK government website and attend an in-person appointment at the Visa Application Centre (VAC) in Port of Spain, which will now open five days a week to accommodate demand. A standard six-month multiple-entry visa costs £115, with longer-term options available. The UK Government said it aims to process applications within 15 working days.
Minister of Foreign and CARICOM Affairs Dr Amery Browne said the Trinidad and Tobago Government had expressed its disappointment and would continue engaging with UK officials. “This move is within their rights as a sovereign nation,” Browne said, “but we do not see it as a proportionate response to what UK authorities conveyed to us, which was their observation that a relatively small number of T&T nationals were misusing the UK immigration system by being processed for an ETA in the normal existing process and then suddenly applying for asylum after arrival.”
“We are not of the view that regular travellers to the UK should be negatively affected by a relatively small number of persons who have been trying to abuse the British immigration system,” he said. According to The Times, asylum claims from T&T nationals rose from an annual average of 49 between 2015 and 2019 to 439 in the past year. A UK government spokesperson told the newspaper the new requirement addresses the growing trend of people arriving as tourists and then claiming asylum. The spokesperson added that the UK “will continue to warmly welcome visitors” and that the visa requirement “will be kept under review.”
(UK revokes visa-free travel for T&T)
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