security officials fear South Africa is being used by Al Qaeda as a transit point to enter Britain and there are concerns about people smugglers

Last summer, the Home Office warned 11 countries, currently under the visa waiver scheme, that they were concerned about the way they issued passports and checks on applications and gave them six months to tighten their procedures. Five of the eleven, including South Africa, were told enough had not been done and visas would now be required for their nationals to come to the UK. In 2007, some 419,000 South Africans came to the UK, including 168,000 tourists and 46,200 business visitors. Nearly 3,000 were given work permits. Only Americans, Australians, Canadians and Japanese came in larger numbers. But security officials fear South Africa is being used by Al Qaeda as a transit point to enter Britain and there are concerns people smugglers are also taking advantage of the lack of extra checks through a visa system to get illegal immigrants in to the country. There have been concerns over citizens from neighbouring African nations obtaining South African passports too easily and then entering the UK without requiring a visa. Last year, the Serious Organised Crime Agency broke up a ring of people smugglers that brought more than 6,000 illegal immigrants into Britain on forged or stolen South African passports.
They were members of a gang operating from Leicester which, over a decade, smuggled people out of villages in India to South Africa, where they were supplied with false or stolen passports. Visitor visas lasting up to six months currently cost £65 and work visas £205. But the move could lead to South Africa demanding similar requirements for Britons heading there. Thousands are due to attend the British Lions tour this summer and many more are likely to go for the 2010 World Cup. The move is likely to prompt fears of reciprocal changes affecting British holidaymakers going in the other direction. Immigration Minister Phil Woolas said: "The Government said it would get tough and we meant it. Already our shake-up of border security is delivering results, with three million fingerprints taken from visa applicants and 3,000 people caught trying to hide their identity. "Fingerprint visas make up one part of Britain's triple ring of security, alongside high-tech watch-list checks at the border and ID cards for foreign nationals." The other four countries to face visa restrictions are Bolivia, Lesotho, Swaziland and Venezuela. The Home Office also announced that any Jamaican passing through the UK on route to another country will now be required to obtain a visa, despite them staying airside in transit.
The move has led to fears the requirement was needed because some have slipped in to the country illegally while in transit here. Visa requirements for Taiwan were lifted. Mr Woolas said: “The message is clear - we will not shy away from widening the visa net further wherever we think there’s a risk to the UK.”
The visas for South Africa will come in to effect for anyone who has not previously visited the Uk from March 3 and for the remainder, plus the other four countries, from mid 2009.