Patel outlines new measures to limit international travel

Travellers will soon need to make a declaration as to why they are travelling, which will be checked by airlines, Patel said.

There will also be "an increased presence" at airports and other departure points; those without a valid reason for travel will be ordered to return home and may face a fine.

There will also be "an urgent review" of the list of current travel exemptions to make sure "only the most important and exceptional reasons are included", said the home secretary.

"These are critical new measures to protect us all but also to complement the robust action we have consistently taken at the border," said Patel.

"While these new measures are being operationalised, I would like to remind anyone seeking to enter our country to comply with the rules.

"These new measures are a necessary step to protect the public and our world class vaccination programme."

’Huge gaps’

Shadow home secretary Nick Thomas-Symonds said the measures were another example of "too little, too late".

"Limiting hotel quarantine to a limited number of countries, from which travel by non-UK residents was already banned, means the home secretary’s proposals do not go anywhere near far enough," he said.

We cannot know whether these virus mutations will emerge from next, and the truth is the government is once again behind the curve.

"Labour is calling for comprehensive hotel quarantining. Today’s announcement is too limited. It leaves huge gaps in our defences against emerging strains.

"We know the strains that emerged in South Africa and Brazil have already reached these shores. Little wonder when controls have been so lax.

"We’ve seen this reluctance to be decisive from the start of the crisis. From 1 January to 23 March last year, only 273 people were formally quarantined when over 18 million people entered the country by air."