Thousands of foreign tourists are being allowed into the UK every day despite Brits being banned from travelling. Of the 20,000 people arriving at British borders, around 40 per cent - or 8,000 - are holidaymakers, according to Border Force estimates. Hundreds of visitors are granted holiday visas issued by the Home Office.
One visitor from Peru was granted a visa after writing on their application form that the reason for their trip to the UK was to "visit Big Ben". A Border Force source said hundreds of people visiting the UK each day are "basically coming here on a two-week holiday" and the agency has "no grounds to refuse them".
"As long as they’ve got an address where they say they’ll quarantine, and they’ve completed their pre-departure tests, they’ve got their certificates and everything else, they’ve got means and a return ticket, we’ve got no grounds to refuse them," they added. Almost half of people arriving in the UK are tourists, but this jumps to 80 or 90 per cent at Gatwick and Eurostar terminals.
It is a slap in the face for Brits who are currently barred from travelling abroad and could face fines of up to £5,000 for breaking the rules. All passengers entering the UK must provide proof of a negative Covid test taken no more than three days before departure, regardless of where they came from. They must also provide details of where they are staying and self-isolate for 10 days.
