이미 알고 계시는 분들도 있겠지만, 오늘 영국 이민국(Home Office)에서 결핵과 관련한 심사를 강화한다는 발표를 했습니다.
세계 67개 해당 국가 중에 불행하게도 우리나라도 있네요.
관광비자로 오시는 분들은 상관없지만 6개월 이상의 학생 또는 취업비자 등으로 입국하시는 분들은, 안 그래도 오래 걸리는 히드로공항의 입국심사 시간을 줄이시려면 동네의 보건소 혹은 내과에 가셔서 흉부 엑스레이 찍으신 후 결핵이 없다는 간단한 소견서를 받아서 입국심사할 때 보여주시면 됩니다.
물론 엑스레이를 찍어오지 않아도 입국심사 후에 Medical Centre로 가셔서 엑스레이 찍고 나오면 되지만, 시간이 1-2시간 정도 더 걸리게 되고, 이로 인해 일정에 차질이 있으실 수 있으니 참고하시길...^^
발표난 후에는 조금 더 철저하게 입국심사를 하기 때문에, 안 그래도 올림픽이다 여왕님 60주년 즉위식이다 해서 사람들이 몰리고 있는데.. 당분간 영국의 입국심사는 2시간 정도는 걸릴 것 같네요..ㅠㅠ 비행기에서 내려서 뛰어 나오세요!!!
New screening to tackle tuberculosis in the UK
http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/sitecontent/newsarticles/2012/may/42-tb-test
21 May 2012
A pre-entry tuberculosis (TB) screening programme will help save lives and save taxpayers more than £40 million over 10 years and, announced Immigration Minister Damian Green today.
The new measures mean migrants wanting to enter the UK for more than 6 months, from 67 countries with a high incidence of TB, will need to be screened before they are granted a visa for the UK.
Immigration Minister Damian Green said:
'A third of the world's population is carrying tuberculosis and it is currently at its highest level in the UK for 30 years. It's essential that we take action to tackle its continued rise. Pre-entry screening, followed by treatment where necessary, will help to prevent the risk of TB in the UK and will also save lives.
'Removing screening facilities at airports will save the taxpayer £25 million over ten years and further NHS savings will be made by preventing the importation and spread of TB in the UK.'
The introduction of pre-screening comes as recent figures showed that there were over 9,000 new cases of TB in the UK in 2011, a 5 per cent increase on 2010. The programme is targeted at migrants after research showed non-UK born people accounted for three quarters of all new TB cases diagnosed - 20 times higher than in the UK born population.
The UK Border Agency will build on existing pre-screening undertaken by international partners including the USA, Canada and Australia. The costs of screening and subsequent treatment will be met by those people applying to come into the UK.
Please monitor this website for further information. The countries that are currently covered by the pre-screening pilot are:
The additional countries that will be covered by the pre-screening pilot are:
Afghanistan; Angola; Bhutan; Bolivia; Botswana; Burma; Burundi; Cameroon; Cape Verdi; Central African Rep; Chad; China; China, Hong Kong SAR; China, Macau; Congo; Congo Dem Rep Zaire; Djibouti; Ecuador; Equatorial Guinea; Ethiopia; Gabon; Gambia; Guinea; Guinea-Bissau; Guyana; Haiti; India; Indonesia; Kazakhstan; Kiribati; Korea Dem People; Korea Rep of; Kyrgyzstan; Lesotho; Liberia; Madagascar; Malawi; Malaysia; Mali; Mauritania; Micronesia; Moldova; Mongolia; Morocco; Mozambique; Namibia; Nepal; Nigeria; Papua New Guinea; Peru; Philippines; Russian Federation; Rwanda; Sao Tome and Prince; Senegal; Sierra Leone; Solomon Islands; South Africa; Suriname; Swaziland; Tajikistan; Timorleste; Tuvalu; Uganda; Ukraine; Uzbekistan; Vietnam; Zambia; and Zimbabwe.
