Risk of UK border closure / travel scrutiny at airports
Mar 31, 2020, 2:53 am
#1
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Risk of UK border closure / travel scrutiny at airports
I have dual nationality (British/Swedish) and have been spending the last couple of weeks visiting my family in the UK. I am planning to stay in the UK throughout April until we are hopefully past the peak of cases/transmissions and to support a family member. My plan is to return to Sweden on 1st May (there are flights available with BA) but is there a risk that borders may be closed by then or might there be extra scrutiny at airports by airlines or police checking for non essential travel? Of course I could simply produce my Swedish passport and say I am repatriating myself back to Sweden where the lockdown is far less strict than it is in the UK.
Last edited by Saint4805; Mar 31, 2020 at 3:00 am
Mar 31, 2020, 3:37 am
#4
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If we're lucky London will go the same way. Once the 4,000 beds at Excel are all functioning we may decide to let it run its course.
Mar 31, 2020, 3:51 am
#5
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Your greater struggle may be getting a flight. My LHR-ARN on May 1st was cancelled yesterday - that's over a full month ahead. I would anticipate majority cancellations for that route at least into the beginning of May [of course I don't work for BA and have no solid evidence of this, but if it's integral for you to get back to Sweden then consider the implications of not being able to do so for a little time].
Mar 31, 2020, 5:24 am
#6
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Your greater struggle may be getting a flight. My LHR-ARN on May 1st was cancelled yesterday - that's over a full month ahead. I would anticipate majority cancellations for that route at least into the beginning of May [of course I don't work for BA and have no solid evidence of this, but if it's integral for you to get back to Sweden then consider the implications of not being able to do so for a little time].
So far BA are running 6-8 flights LHR-ARN a week probably helped by cargo. SAS operate daily and the DFDS Immingham-Gothenburg ferry still running (but at freight prices and it takes 28 hours).
Despite the media hyperbole, even in Stockholm there is a lot of very effective voluntary social distancing. In contrast, U.K. policy seems to be governed by input just from Imperial college, with no peer review, no revalidation of data inputs...bought to the U.K. by the same team who guided the disastrous response to BSE. Makes you think, rather.
Mar 31, 2020, 5:25 am
#7
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I’d really recommend everyone goes immediately to where they’d like to be for the next x months. Not doing so at the moment is really asking for problems - at the very least you will want a fully worked out plan B for up to 6 months not being able to get home.
Mar 31, 2020, 5:40 am
#8
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Just be prepared that Sweden may place you into a 14-day mandatory quarantine - in May. You cannot even go out for grocery shopping then. I assume Sweden will have to tighten its liberal policies.
Mar 31, 2020, 6:13 am
#9
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Mar 31, 2020, 6:22 am
#10
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There have been a number of newspaper articles suggesting that Sweden will impose stricter measures soon. Here is one:
https://www.theguardian.com/world/20...ockdown-europe
https://www.theguardian.com/world/20...ockdown-europe
Mar 31, 2020, 6:26 am
#11
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So far BA are running 6-8 flights LHR-ARN a week probably helped by cargo. SAS operate daily and the DFDS Immingham-Gothenburg ferry still running (but at freight prices and it takes 28 hours).
Despite the media hyperbole, even in Stockholm there is a lot of very effective voluntary social distancing. In contrast, U.K. policy seems to be governed by input just from Imperial college, with no peer review, no revalidation of data inputs...bought to the U.K. by the same team who guided the disastrous response to BSE. Makes you think, rather.
Despite the media hyperbole, even in Stockholm there is a lot of very effective voluntary social distancing. In contrast, U.K. policy seems to be governed by input just from Imperial college, with no peer review, no revalidation of data inputs...bought to the U.K. by the same team who guided the disastrous response to BSE. Makes you think, rather.
Mar 31, 2020, 6:44 am
#15
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No, but a reasonable assumption to make, in the current environment, is that a country will impose tighter travel restrictions, rather than loosening them. This is particularly relevant for someone trying to get home (viz the Brits in NZ who have essentially been told to hunker down for a considerable while.)