London Mayor Calls on Gov’t to Ease Post-Brexit Visa Rules for EU … – SchengenVisaInfo.com

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has urged the UKs Government to ease the post-Brexit visa rules that, according to him, are preventing European Union citizens from visiting the capital for different purposes, such as education, work, as well as tourism.

According to a report provided by the UKs Government, before the Brexit transition period, over 1.5 million children entered Britain each year to pursue their studies or through organised school trips, SchengenVisaInfo.com reports.

The report notes that at the time, Britain welcomed a total of 750,000 children from France and Germany alone, who could enter the country by only holding their European Economic Area identity cards.

But since October 2021, all children planning to visit Britain are required to have a passport, while those with non-EU passports, also taking into account refugees, are subject to a 95 visa.

>> Applying for a Schengen Visa in the UK

Londons Mayor, together with London & Partners, will launch a new tourism campaign this summer in order to attract visitors from France and Germany.

Khan has considered that encouraging more young Europeans to visit London is essential for the tourism sector as well as the rich cultural exchange of ideas and experiences.

In addition, the Mayor called on the Government to launch a Youth Group Travel Scheme, the main purpose of which would be to make Britain open to a more significant number of school children from countries worldwide.

As part of efforts to permit further cultural exchange, the Mayor of London has also said that the Youth Mobility Scheme should be extended in a reciprocal agreement with European Union countries, which would also support several supports, including the hospitality and catering sectors which are dealing with notable labour shortages.

Our post-Brexit future does not have to mean isolation from our European friends and partners and restrictive policies that only damage our economy and opportunities for growth, Khan pointed out.

London Mayors comments have been welcomed by the Executive Director of the Tourism Alliance, Richard Toomer.

The tourism industry warmly welcomes the mayors commitment to encouraging youth travel to and from our nations capital, Toomer said.

He said that the UK has much to offer to visitors from other countries, stressing that the country should be encouraging tourists to visit this territory instead of putting up unnecessary barriers.

Toomer said that the decision to accept ID cards at the border no longer has significantly affected the number of foreign visitors to the UK, especially on organised school trips. He stressed that last year alone, there was an 83 per cent reduction in the figures of students that operators in Europe sent to the UK.

>> UKs New Passport Rules Severely Reduce EU School Visits

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London Mayor Calls on Gov't to Ease Post-Brexit Visa Rules for EU ... - SchengenVisaInfo.com