UK starts visa requirements for St. Lucians

By Sarah Peter

CASTRIES, March 5 (Reuters) – Britain has introduced a visa requirement for St. Lucians effective from Thursday citing a “notable increase” in nationals from the small Caribbean nation claiming asylum, St. Lucia’s government said in a statement.

Immigration is one of Britain’s most politically sensitive issues, and Prime Minister Keir ​Starmer’s government has sought to show it is tightening the system as the populist Reform UK ​party gains ground in opinion polls.

* St. Lucia, a former British colony, has a population ofabout 180,000. Last year, the World Bank estimated a netemigration of just 23 people. * St. Lucia’s government said it was actively engagingwith British government and would continue talks to “explorepathways for maintaining strong mobility arrangements.” * It said it was informed in a letter dated Wednesday. * St. Lucia is a member of the Commonwealth, anassociation of mostly former British colonies. Before the 1970s,nationals of many of these had the right to live and work in theUK. * St. Lucians previously needed a 16 pound ElectronicTravel Authorisation (ETA) to travel to the UK. There will be asix-week transition for ETA holders, its government said. * On Tuesday, Britain said it would block study visas ‌for Afghanistan, Cameroon, Myanmar and Sudan and halt work visasfor Afghans.

(Reporting by Sarah Peter and Sarah Morland; Editing by Aida Pelaez-Fernandez)