MPS urge ministers to ‘discourage’ foreign holidays
Restrictions on foreign holidays should be maintained to protect the UK from Covid-19 variants, MPS have warned.
The All-party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on coronavirus urged the Government to "discourage all international leisure travel".
It claimed the importation of new variants could" lead to further lock downs, and inevitably, further loss of life".
The cross-party group described airport arrival halls as "a breeding ground for infection".
It recommended that passengers returning from green, amber and red countries under the new risk-based traffic light system do not mix.
Passengers' documents should be checked before they enter an arrival halls, where possible, so those being transported to quarantine facilities are moved "rapidly", the group added.
It also called for "adequate financial support" to be provided to travel firms, and for a reversal to the reduction in funding for international research projects assisting the fight against the virus.
The ban on foreign holidays is expected to be lifted for people in England from May 17 as part of the next easing of coronavirus restrictions.
But the APPG wants the Government to "maintain curbs on international leisure travel" beyond that date.
Lucy Moreton, professional officer for the Immigration Services Union, which represents border immigration and customs staff, told a hearing held by the group last month that around 100 people are trying to enter the UK each day with "fake" certificates showing recent negative coronavirus tests.
Lib Dem MP Layla Moran, who chairs the APPG, said: "It is staggering that the Government is even contemplating encouraging overseas holidays when airports are already struggling to keep the virus and new variants at bay.
"Urgent measures are needed to better detect fake Covid test certificates, reduce overcrowding in arrival halls and separate out those arriving from red and amber list countries.
"The country's biosecurity cannot rely on border staff spotting a spelling error."