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)
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