Travelling to the UK on Monday became costlier and a bit complicated for long-term visitors as Britain extended its pre-screening programme for tuberculosis to citizens/residents of 69 countries, including India, China, Malaysia and South Korea.
The original pilot scheme to test visitors for tuberculosis before entering the UK had 15 countries on its list, including Bangladesh, Pakistan and Thailand.
The scheme is now being extended to 69 more countries to stem the rise in the incidence of tuberculosis, a potentially fatal disease which usually affects the lungs and can be spread by an infected person coughing or sneezing.
People born outside the UK account for three-quarters of all new TB cases diagnosed, which is 20 times higher than in the UK-born population, so the UK wants to pass screen TB carriers in their country of origin and pass on the costs involved to people themselves.
“The new measures mean migrants from these countries wanting to enter the UK for more than six months will need to be screened before they are granted a visa for the UK,” immigration minister Damian Green said on Monday.
He added that the scheme would help the UK save more than £40 million over 10 years. “Removing screening facilities at airports will save the taxpayer £25 million over ten years and further NHS savings will be made by preventing the importation and spread of TB in the UK,” he added.
The costs of pre-screening and subsequent treatment of the disease, if present, will be met by the people applying to come into the UK, he explained.
Visitors on long-term visas from South Asia are routinely checked for tuberculosis on arrival in the UK. At present, any visitor who intends to remain in the UK for more than six is normally referred for a medical examination on arrival at passport check before being allowed to enter in case the person has not got medical clearance in his/her country of origin.
“The immigration officer usually refers to the port medical inspector on arrival anyone who mentions health or medical treatment as a reason for their visit, appears to be unwell or is seeking entry for more than six months and comes from a country with high incidence of infectious tuberculosis,” according to the visa rules for visitors to the UK.
Britain is the only country in western Europe to experience a sustained rise in tuberculosis cases over the last decade. In 2010 in the UK, a total of 8,483 cases of tuberculosis were reported, a rate of 13.6 cases per 100,000 population. In 2011, there were over 9,000 new cases of TB in the UK, a 5 per cent increase on 2010.
“A third of the world’s population is carrying tuberculosis and it is currently at its highest level in the UK for 30 years. It’s essential that we take action to tackle its continued rise. Pre-entry screening, followed by treatment where necessary, will help to prevent the risk of TB in the UK and will also save lives,” Mr Green said.