The most fundamental rule of UK Immigration law is the principle of exclusion. It means that anyone who is not a British Citizen or an EEA national is excluded from entry into the United Kingdom. The current Immigration Rules further specify that anyone who is a visa national or, if not a visa national, intends to remain in the UK for more than 6 months needs Entry Clearance (a visa) in order to enter the UK. The Immigration Rules contain an exhaustive list of countries whose citizens (visa nationals) need to obtain Entry Clearance even for a short visit. The list has been growing systematically since it was first introduced.
On 30th March 2010 the Secretary of State for the Home Department issued a ministerial statement where he announced that two countries will be scrutinised with the view of imposing the Visa requirement. This measure is a reaction to an assessment conducted in regards to Eastern Caribbean states, revealing certain illegal immigration, crime and security concerns.
Dominica and St Lucia will now be under close watch for the next 6 months, when they will have the opportunity to address those concerns. At the end of this process a decision will be made by the UK Border Agency whether to impose visa requirements even for short visits.
