Should There be a Travel Dispensation for People with Close Family Abroad?

[manicinsomniac]

I totally support the no foreign holidays thing this summer. It's not worth trading normal life for.

But I've seen so many heart breaking posts on here about people desperate to see their families abroad. People emigrate with the understanding that we are never trapped in one country. One of my colleagues is French. Her twin sister is very ill, quite likely terminal within a year or so. France is so close. Yet might as well be on the other side of the world right now.

If it was the same for everyone, it maybe wouldn't seem so bad. But I know an 18 year old off to Costa Rica for 2 months next week. And another 18 year old who went to Mexico in January for 6 months. Permitted as it's volunteer work and 'education' but they're going to have the time of their lives. While others don't get to see their elderly parents again.

And it seems to be different for the rich too. I work in a private school and several of our children are still distance learning because they are in India, Nigeria, South Africa and elsewhere. Have been since Jan or early Feb. There must have been a reason I imagine - deaths or serious illness in families, I guess. But these are families who could afford the isolations and the time off work.

I know the world isn't equal and fair, of course. But this just seems so hard. Could there not be a general ban on holidays but family visits allowed with strictly enforced home isolation and/or testing?

@May17th

** Possibly means tested so if on certain benefits the quarantine is subsidised.

How entitled means tested? I’m sorry. It there’s many people struggling here so why should the government fund a hotel or whatever for people to self isolate in FFS I have heard it all now.

Because there are various reasons to come back into the UK... a funeral or seeing a dying relative is two. But if you are poor.. it is nah, tough mate. You can't come in. I believe it is wrong to be forced to pay close to £2k for something you have no control over.

@XenoBitch the thing is it’s difficult all round. People have family all around the world. Some Countries are literally 3rd world no benefit system in place. If you fall ill with COVID types of symptoms it’s a huge issue. You also putting that Country at risk. It’s too complex to honour travel for family members. So whilst I understand that people feel that exceptions should be allowed it has implications all round though doesn’t it? And on top of that you would like who to fund this? It’s not practical but I can see how it seems unfair.

But it isn’t legal to even visit family in this country at the moment. Why would it be legal to travel abroad to so?

We haven’t seen close family members who live 3 hours drive away since last summer and won’t be until the law allows in May

No, because

• The number of people eligible would be huge,meaning lots of additional international travel
• The beaurocracy proving eligibility would be expensive and time consuming to implement, and we have much more important things to spend resources on at the moment
• Having relatives abroad doesn't stop you spreading the virus. Covid couldn't care less.

No. Where would you draw the line?

Its not ideal but in reality it is happening all over the world and lots of countries have been pretty much noone in or out for over a year now.

@TiggerTiggerBounce

But it isn’t legal to even visit family in this country at the moment. Why would it be legal to travel abroad to so?

We haven’t seen close family members who live 3 hours drive away since last summer and won’t be until the law allows in May

I can go to my home country for a wedding at the moment. It’s legal. And as of Monday it’ll be legal to visit your family as the stay at home recommendation ends

My 19 yo dsd went to France to visit her mum for a few weeks, got back a couple of weeks ago. She wasn't challenged once at either end.

I think you should be allowed to travel to see close family without having to pay out 2k for quarantine.
Most people can't afford it, because it's not just the 2k, it's also an extra 2 weeks off work... It doesn't make sense, especially with the option to testing.
There are already many exemptions, so why not add a parent or grandparent?
Plus, from personal experience, you can travel to Europe, and have limited / no close contact with other people.

I think there already kinda is though? My mum has come to me from Ireland to stay for 8 weeks! I recently had a baby and I’ve been very ill since with various things - husband back at work now and I’ve really been struggling on my own - we have nobody here.

She said she was coming here for childcare / explained situation and was allowed in no problem once she had a negative test and stays in my house for 10 quarantine

But Easterisland you can't stay overnight at the moment so you would have to do a 6 hour round trip to sit in the garden!

DH is desperate to go back to his country. His mum is very unwell, there has been a close family member death too. The airport in his country is closed (except for the government and generals). He feels so helpless. He’s had his first vaccine and he hopes something will change by time he’s had the second. We know many others in a similar situation. One friend has not been able to see his newborn child yet, so many sad situations.

No, because for every honest person who sticks to the rules, there will be two who don't.

And anyway, any increased contact, increases risk.

The policy needs to be clear and that has been the problem with the U.K.s approach all along - it's confused . Either make a clear policy or don't have one - I think an exception for close lose family members is open fir loose interpretation so I would say no exception

I don't think so. I think if anything the existing restrictions should be tightened.

The owner of Ryanair thinks international travel will be loosened this summer. I agree. Images of Germans sunning themselves in Spain will put enormous pressure to allow travel.

The variants argument only works if there is no travel into Britain at all. There are so many loopholes it’s makes a mockery of it. Plus national restrictions would need to be tightened immediately, there are variants spreading throughout the U.K. right now.

I’ll be travelling to the U.K. this year even if it means I need to do a bit of volunteering or house sale viewings.

Also, wouldn’t a vaccine resistant strain most likely evolve where vaccine use is widespread?

I think there are already exemptions for care or death etc. So if your family are well, same boat as the rest of us I'm afraid.

Never going to work OP (I have family abroad and haven't seen them for over a year).

I could probably contort my circumstances to fit one of the current available loopholes, but it would be utterly pointless as there are no (direct) flights to get me where I need to be.

It's shit. My daughter is on day two of ten days isolation in a top floor flat with 2 under 4s. Breaks my heart not to be able to go there and help.

It seems ( on mn at least) that the vaccine is not only controlling the virus but also made the British public extremely compliant. The vaccine was supposed to be the great liberator but as afar as I can see, the ‘slow’ Europeans will likely have more freedoms than the British 🤭

No. Travel out of the country should be severely limited until this is under control everywhere.

If there was guaranteed state enforced quarantine both ways for fourteen days at the cost to the person including children with absolutely no exceptions than maybe.

If you choose to live in a different country then contact was mainly likely to be limited visit wise anyway and we have so much technology to keep in touch with.

I can understand wanting to protect the only thing that’s been successful in the pandemic response but honestly I think it’s gone too far. Once everyone’s been offered a vaccine it should be back to normal levels of personal freedom.

Its really shit but I do think why did people move so far from family? I haven't moved away from my local area because I want to be around for my parents. I'll put my hard hat on..

The three French people I know, met an English man and married and had kids and obviously thought they'd easily be able to regularly pop home. We're not far from an airport and they are teachers so have school holidays. They obviously couldn't have predicted they'd be banned from leaving the country. Who could have?

I feel for people who are divorced and on their own but stuck here because of their ex and kids.

Of course rich people will be allowed to use the Stanley Johnson loophole and say they are going to view properties to buy or sell or work on existing ones.