The United Kingdom's recent red list for international travel includes 11 countries, all of which are from Africa. Nigeria's high commissioner to the UK Sarafa Tunji Isola called the red list a 'travel apartheid', suggesting racial discrimination on the UK government's end. He also spoke about how difficult travel is becoming due to these laws, and how travelers have to bear the exorbitant cost of self-quarantine at hotels. Isola also believes that the UK is treating the Omicron variant outbreak as an endemic while it is a pandemic in reality.
Kit Malthouse from the government of the UK has said that such a choice of words from Isola is very 'unfortunate'. Calling travel restriction 'apartheid' is both misinformed and insensible, according to him. He added that such travel restrictions aim to buy some more time for scientists and researchers to work on the virus. Acknowledging the difficulty caused to travelers due to this, he said that it is for the greater well-being of the world.
In the past, many Asian citizens in the West faced discrimination due to the Covid-19 outbreak. Nigerian authorities are watchful of such a trend in the African context due to the Omicron variant.
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