December 19, 2007	Wednesday	Zilhaj 8, 1428

LONDON, Dec 18: Britain unveiled plans on Tuesday to tighten visa rules for tourists from outside Europe, drawing protests that it would hit immigrant families with visitors from other countries, particularly those in South Asia.

Under the proposals families would have to pay a cash bond to ensure that visitors left the country, while the standard six-month tourist visa would be cut in half, to three months.

The bond, which would be refunded when the visa-holder left the country, could be up to 1,000 pounds ($2,015), according to the plans set out by the Home Office, Britain’s interior ministry.

Immigration Minister Liam Byrne said the bond would not be applied in every case, but only where it was considered there was a risk of visitors not going home. “Tougher checks abroad mean we keep risky people out,” he said.

“By next spring we’ll check everyone’s fingerprints when they apply for a visa. Now we’re proposing a financial guarantee as well, not for everyone, but where we think there’s a risk.

But campaigners said the measure risks harming families from former British colony countries, who regularly have relatives such as grandparents visiting for more than three months, or for events like weddings.

Habib Rahman, head of the Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants, condemned the plans as “discriminatory”.

“It will create hardship for families ... This means that only people with fat wallets will be able to bring their families,” he told BBC radio.—AFP