As of 17 May 2021, international travel from England has, to an extent, resumed, with the adoption of a ‘traffic light’ system. The majority of countries find themselves on the ‘amber’ list. There are still uncertainties however, on whether leisure travel to such countries is permitted.
There have been mixed messages from Government ministers as to what the official guidance is. On the one hand, Grant Shapps (Secretary of State for Transport) has expressed the view that travel to countries on the amber list is down to personal discretion: “We’ve moved away from a situation where everything is ‘it’s banned; it’s illegal’. We’re moving away from that and asking people to apply a bit of common sense”. On the other hand, the Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, has stated that: “you should not be going to an amber-list country on holiday”. Similarly, the Health Secretary, Matt Hancock, has said that “it is crystal clear that you should not go to an amber or red-list country on holiday”.
The UK government website currently advises that “You should not travel to amber list countries or territories”, which is likely the most reliable guidance to be followed at this time. As the rules on travel in and out of the UK are subject to change at short notice, all travellers are strongly advised to consult the UK government website prior to any travel. Gherson experts are continuing to monitor closely for updates. Follow us on Twitter to stay up-to-date.
The information in this blog is for general information purposes only and does not purport to be comprehensive or to provide legal advice. Whilst every effort is made to ensure the information and law is current as of the date of publication it should be stressed that, due to the passage of time, this does not necessarily reflect the present legal position. Gherson accepts no responsibility for loss which may arise from accessing or reliance on information contained in this blog. For formal advice on the current law please don’t hesitate to contact Gherson. Legal advice is only provided pursuant to a written agreement, identified as such, and signed by the client and by or on behalf of Gherson.
©Gherson 2021
Solicitor in our General Immigration Department
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