COVID-19: 10-year jail sentences ‘appropriate’ for lying at UK border, says Transport Secretary Grant Shapps

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps has defended the introduction of 10-year jail sentences for those who lie about their travel at the UK border as “appropriate”.

Under new measures due to come into force from Monday, UK and Irish residents arriving in England from 33 “red list” countries will have to quarantine for 10 days in government-managed hotel rooms.

As part of the enforcement of the new action, anyone who tries to conceal they had been in a “red list” country in the 10 days before their arrival will face a prison sentence of up to 10 years.

Mr Shapps explained how the fresh restrictions are being introduced due to the government’s concerns about new coronavirus variants being imported, or becoming more widespread, in the UK.

“What we’re dealing with now are the variants and, with variants, we cannot risk it in these final stages – where we’ve got the vaccine rolled out – that we might end up with a difficulty from variations, although we think so far that we’ll be able to take care of them through the vaccines,” he told Sky News.

“And, because of that, we think… things like prison sentences for lying about being in one of those red list countries are appropriate.”

In Scotland, all international travellers arriving into Scotland – not just those from “red list” countries – will have to stay in a quarantine hotel.

There are currently no international flights operating to Wales or Northern Ireland.