By Pooja Shrivastava
Britain has announced that the coronavirus ban on international holiday travel to some of the destinations will be lifted due to their low infection and high vaccination rates. The announcement was made on May 7, Friday, and will be effective from May 17.
"I'm announcing today that from May 17 you will be able to travel to 12 green-list countries... which include Portugal, Gibraltar, and Israel," Transport Minister Grant Shapps said.
Shapps added that this is just a first step.
The 12 green-list destinations are Portugal, including the Azores and Madeira, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Brunei, Iceland, Faroe Islands, Gibraltar, Falkland Islands, and Israel.
The travel ban continues to remain on other popular destinations such as France, Spain, and Greece. These countries are not yet on the green-list, which is reviewed every three weeks.
Britain was observing a strict travel ban to curb the spread of coronavirus. It is currently illegal for anyone in the country to travel abroad for holidays. People arriving from a so-called "red-list country" must quarantine in a hotel for 10 days upon arrival.
Furthermore, Turkey, alongside Maldives and Nepal, was added to the red-list countries list recently. The news came as a disappointment for football fans as two popular English football clubs, Manchester City and Chelsea, are due to play in the Champions League final in Istanbul to be held on May 29.
Shapps has advised fans not to travel to Turkey.
"It does mean, I'm afraid... that fans should not travel to Turkey.
"The FA (Football Association), I have to tell you, is in discussions with UEFA already on this. We are very open to hosting the final round."
FILE PHOTO: A general view shows British Steel's Scunthorpe plant, in Scunthorpe, northern England, Britain, March 31, 2025. REUTERS/Dominic Lipinski
The FBU is planning to introduce new internal policies and wants the TUC to take action as well. (Representational image: iStock)
FBU chief raises concern over rise in racist online posts by union members
THE FIRE Brigades Union (FBU) and other trade unions are increasingly concerned about a rise in racist and bigoted online comments by their own members and officials, according to Steve Wright, the FBU’s new general secretary, speaking to the Guardian.
Wright said internal inquiries have revealed dozens of cases involving members using racist slurs or stereotypes, often aimed at asylum seekers.
He said similar issues were reported in other unions, prompting a joint campaign to counter false narratives around immigration and race promoted by far-right groups online.
“People with far-right views are becoming more brazen in what they do on social media, and I’ve witnessed it with my own union around disciplinary cases and the rhetoric of some of our own members,” Wright said to the newspaper.
He added, “Some of our members and sometimes our reps have openly made comments which are racist and bigoted. In my time in the fire service, that has gone up.”
The FBU is planning to introduce new internal policies and wants the TUC to take action as well. A formal statement addressing far-right narratives will be launched at the union’s annual conference in Blackpool next month.
Wright cited the influence of social media and figures like Donald Trump and Nigel Farage as factors contributing to these incidents. “It feels like an itch that we’ve got to scratch,” he said.
The FBU barred a former official last year for allegedly endorsing racist content on X, including posts from Britain First and Tommy Robinson.
Wright also warned that the union could strike if the government moves to cut frontline fire services.