London : The controversial 3,000-pound "security bond" for some "high-risk" foreign visitors to the UK, including those from India, is to be scrapped, the Home Office has confirmed.
The scheme, announced by Home Secretary Theresa May in June, was to come into force this month.
A Home Office spokesman confirmed a Sunday Times report that the policy would be scrapped.
Hugo Swire, Britain's Minister of state for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs told PTI recently that "no decision was taken on the visa bond scheme".
The decision is thought to have been taken after Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg threatened to block it.
India had also expressed its concern to the UK government both at the ministerial and official levels.
The aim of the scheme was to reduce the number of people from some "high-risk" countries -- including India, Pakistan, and Nigeria - staying in the UK once their short-term visas expired.
Visitors would have paid a 3,000-pound cash bond before arrival in the UK that would have been forfeited if they failed make the return trip.
The scheme, announced by Home Secretary Theresa May in June, was to come into force this month.
A Home Office spokesman confirmed a Sunday Times report that the policy would be scrapped.
The decision is thought to have been taken after Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg threatened to block it.
Advertisement
The aim of the scheme was to reduce the number of people from some "high-risk" countries -- including India, Pakistan, and Nigeria - staying in the UK once their short-term visas expired.
Advertisement
COMMENTS
Advertisement
Alaya Furniturewalla's Black Midi Dress Was A Stylish Boon To Her London Trip 2 Of World's 5 Largest Coal Mines Now In India: Report Coast Guard Rescues 11 From Boat In Critical Condition Due To Flooding Off Kerala Coast Windows Computers Lead To 'Blue Screen Of Death' Due To CrowdStrike Error In 1st Statement After Outage, CrowdStrike CEO Says... How World Scrambled To Deal With One Of The Biggest IT Crashes: 10 Points In Pics: Bangladesh On Fire, Buildings, Vehicles Burnt Amid Ongoing Clashes Microsoft Power Outage Caused "Minor Disruptions" In 10 Banks: RBI Doctor Who Saved Man By Giving CPR: "We Are Only God's Representatives'' Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world.