UK Slams $19,000 Fine on Passengers Hiding Travel History

The UK government have fined four passengers who tried to enter from the ‘Red List’ countries.

The travellers were asked to pay a whopping fine of $19,000 each, as all the four hid their travel history from officials. The passengers were identified at Birmingham's West Midlands Airport.

The British government has curated a Red List which includes 33 high-risk countries. Travellers coming from any of these places are banned from entering the UK until further notice.

Residents from England returning to the country are mandatorily asked to quarantine at isolation facilities as per the new rules in place for international travellers. 

While talking to the press, Chris Todd, the UK's Assistant Chief Constable, said, “By midday yesterday, on the first day of implementation, we received six passengers who had declared travelling from a Red List country, who were then taken to the quarantine hotel.”

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"We also had four travellers who were identified as having travelled from a Red List high-risk country, that hadn't declared it."

Todd said the passengers who were fined were aware of the penalties and hence tried to hide their travel route from the officials.  

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The UK health department head, Matt Hancock, had released the new set of rules for international travellers which included lengthy jail time and heavy fines for the defaulters.

While talking to the press, Hancock said in a statement, “Anyone who lies on the passenger locator form and tries to hide that they've been in a country on the Red List in the last 10 days, they will have to face a prison sentence of up to 10 years.”

According to the new quarantine rules for international passengers, they are required to bear the costs of the isolation facility and they need to quarantine for 10 days, at least.

Travellers must also take two COVID-19 tests on the second day after arrival, and the 8th day of the quarantine period.

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