Confusion, Panic Over India's "Red List" Travel Ban By UK

The red list status came amid a spike in coronavirus infections in India and also resulted in British Prime Minister Boris Johnson cancelling his planned visit to New Delhi next week.

Hundreds of Indian students and UK-based Indian-origin families have been sent into a mode of confusion and panic with India being added to Britain's COVID-19 travel "red list", which imposes a ban on entry to the country for all except British or Irish residents. The red list status, which is effective from 4 am local time on Friday, came amid a spike in coronavirus infections in India and also resulted in British Prime Minister Boris Johnson cancelling his planned visit to New Delhi next week. The ban means that those with valid residency rights returning to the UK after the deadline on Friday face the additional financial burden of compulsory hotel quarantine and tests costs, estimated at around 2,000 pounds per person. "There's a fair amount of confusion in the Indian community about the rules and what these mean for them. Significant concern is being raised about the cost of quarantine as well as how the new restrictions impact student eligibility for the Graduate visa route for which they need to be in country by particular dates," said Sanam Arora, Chair of the National Indian Students and Alumni Union UK (NISAU-UK), a representative group for Indian students in the UK.