§ Mr. WellsTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he intends to require Somali nationals who wish to transit the United Kingdom to obtain visas.
§ Mr. Peter LloydUnder the immigration rules, Somali nationals are already required to obtain visas to enter the United Kingdom. However, like most nationalities subject to a visa requirement, Somali nationals at present benefit from a concession whereby passengers who are booked on an onward flight leaving the United Kingdom within 24262W hours of their arrival do not need visas. Because of the misuse of the concession by some Somali nationals who are not genuine transit passengers, we have decided to withdraw it with effect from 15 August. From that date, all Somali nationals intending to pass through immigration control, including transit passengers, will need to obtain a visa before setting out.