UK looks to lift travel restrictions on Nigeria this week with the scrapping of Covid Red List regime

STRINGENT travel restrictions imposed on Nigerians visiting the UK as a result of the coronavirus pandemic could be lifted this week as the British government is planning to scrap its controversial red list with a less Draconian measure involving resting.

Last weekend, the British government placed Nigeria on its red list of nations from which visitors need to quarantine themselves in hotels for nearly two weeks under its Covid-19 guidelines. Nigeria got placed on the red list in response to the spread of the Omicron strain of the virus, which is said to have originated in South Africa and the action has attracted widespread condemnation.

Nigerians in the UK have launched a petition against the development, calling for it to be scrapped and for people to be allowed to isolate in their houses upon arrival. With the measures attracting widespread criticism, UK transport secretary Grant Shapps, has come up with new plans that will scrap the red list altogether and replace it with a regime that offers testing for the fully vaccinated.

At the moment, travellers who arrive from Nigeria have to spend 10 days in hotel quarantine at a cost of £2,285  per person. Britain’s high commission in Nigeria has also suspended the issuance of visas, effectively barring all travel between the two countries for now.

Seeing that the measures are unworkable, Mr Shapps is said to have convinced cabinet colleagues to replace the red list with his new plans this week.  Data suggests that with Omicron spreading rapidly worldwide, there will be limited differences in countries’ infection rates.

Last Wednesday at a Covid-19 briefing, Prime Minister Boris Johnson promised to re-examine the policy amid claims it was unfair and ineffective. Among the complaints about the policy was that travellers complained of six-hour journeys to their hotel and despite being charged heavily, they were served grim food.