UK is planning to pilot a scheme with effect from November for a year, targeted at visitors from at least six countries including India, because Indians are considered high-risk. Under the scheme, Indian visitors will be forced to pay a cash bond of £3,000 (Rs 2.8 lakhs plus) before entering the UK!
This move clearly indicates that UK is interested in India only as Investor Country and not for anything else! Economically disturbed UK (as per The Telegraph, dated: Wed 26 June 2013; http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/recession/4320827/UK-Recession-Timeline-o f-how-the-British-economy-has-been-hit.html) justifies the scheme saying the pilot project is aimed at addressing concerns on misuse of visa and reduce the risk of overstaying. UKs Home Secretary Theresa May in a statement issued by the British High Commission say, In the long run, we are interested in a system of bonds that deters overstaying and recovers costs if a foreign national has used our public services. We're planning a pilot that focuses on over stayers and examines a couple of different ways of applying bonds. The pilot will apply to visitor visas, but if the scheme is successful, we would like to be able to apply it on an intelligence-led basis on any visa route and any country. Ironically and most significantly, Cameron, during his very recent visit to India in February 2013, had promised a relaxed visa regime between both countries while appealing Indian investors to start business ventures in UK! Moreover, India and the European Union are currently engaged in talks for having a wide-ranging free trade agreement, which also includes a relaxed visa regime. If such a move by the UK government goes through, this will be contrary to what was promised under the proposed deal. I think, time has come for Manmohan Singh to talk directly in equivocal terms with Cameron indicating without hesitations that if Indias name is not deleted from high-risk list than India is not interested in India-UK bilateral relations talk that are due to be finalized. And if UK is still bent on including India in their proposed high-risk list, I think, Manmohan Singh must immediately introduce counter offensive schemes on UK. Only such measures by India will compel economically shaken UK realize that India is the 5th largest investor country in UK today and therefor India is high-investor country in UK! Will Manmohan Singh do this? U. G. Barad
