‘Unprecedented expulsions’ are hailed by May
THE HOME OFFICE is reviewing the system of ‘investor visas’ used by hundreds of wealthy Russians to enter Britain.
Theresa May announced the change while giving evidence to a House of Commons committee in the wake of the nerve agent attack on a former Russian spy and his daughter in Salisbury.
Giving evidence to the Commons Liaison Committee, the Prime Minister said they wanted to ensure the tier-one visas, granted to individuals prepared to invest £2m in the UK, were working in the way that was intended.
She was challenged by the chairman of the Home Affairs Committee and Yorkshire MP Yvette Cooper, who said 700 tierone visas were issued to Russians between 2008 and 2015 when there were no proper checks in place.
Mrs May told her: “This isn’t just a question of the specific issue you have raised.
“I think it is right that we look generally to see whether this is a part of our visa regime that is being used properly or whether there are loopholes in it for people to be able to use it as an access to the UK who otherwise we wouldn’t be granting access to.”
The announcement came after Mrs May hailed the “unprecedented series of expulsions” of Russian diplomats across the globe in the wake of the attack on Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia, who were left critically ill following the Salisbury incident.
The Prime Minister insisted the move sent a strong message to Moscow that it cannot ignore international law. The comments came as Ireland became the 24th country to join the UK in diplomatic action against the Kremlin.
With Downing Street saying that more than 115 Russian diplomats had been ordered home by friends and allies, Dublin added one more to the list.
Mrs May’s spokesman said the PM told the Cabinet the move against Russia was “an unprecedented series of expulsions that has demonstrated to the Kremlin that we will not tolerate their attempts to flout international law, undermine our values or threaten our security”.
The Prime Minister added: “It is also important to note that our partners are not only taking these measures out of solidarity with the UK, but also because they recognise the threat that these Russian networks pose to the security of their own countries and the pattern of Russian aggression which has affected us all.”
Nato yesterday said it had withdrawn accreditation from seven members of the Russian Mission attached to it and would reject requests from three others.
Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg told reporters in Brussels the move sent a clear message to Russia that its actions “had costs”.
He added: “What triggered this was the Salisbury attack. But it is part of a broader response by Nato allies to a pattern of unacceptable and dangerous behaviour by Russia.”
Meanwhile, Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson has resisted calls for the England football team to boycott the World Cup in Russia.