UK Vows To Stick With Its Travel Ban Despite Threat Of Retaliation By FG

The United Kingdom has said it will not be altering the travel ban it has placed on Nigeria and other African countries, due to the spread of the Omicron variant of COVID-19.

This comes after Nigeria threatened to hit back by also prohibiting flights from the UK, Canada, Argentina and Saudi Arabia.

Nigeria’s Aviation Minister, Hadi Sirika has fumed about the ban and said that it is only right to stop flights from the countries that have placed a ban on Nigeria.

“As they did to us, if they do not allow our citizens into their countries; who are they coming, as airlines, to pick from our country?

“They are not supposed to come in. I am very sure in the next three days; Monday or Tuesday, all those countries will be put on the red list of COVID-19,’’ Sirika vowed.

The UK has pledged not to revert it’s decision in the wake of Nigeria’s threat. Spokesperson for the British High Commission, Dean Hurlock, spoke to Punch newspaper saying: 

“The UK Government propose sticking to our standard background lines on whether ‘X’ country will put us on the red list and avoid getting into hypothetical situations.’’

Hurlock had also told the newspaper that: “The position stated in our press release of last weekend still stands at present.”

“These are temporary measures that have been introduced to prevent further omicron cases from entering the UK and will be examined at the three-week review point on 20 December.”

UK authorities on Sunday, December 5, 2021, put Nigeria on a travel ban list by canceling visitor visa applications.

Source

Pulse NG

Featured Image Source: Medbury