CASTRIES, St Lucia (CMC) — Prime Minister of St Lucia Phillip J Pierre on Monday said British officials are due to arrive in the country this week as part of efforts to work with various stakeholders to ensure legitimate travel to the United Kingdom after London last week announced that a visa requirement will be introduced for St Lucians travelling to the European country.

“We will continue to engage constructively with the British government to address these concerns while ensuring that the interests of the people of St Lucia remain at the centre of our approach,” Pierre told a news conference.

“I want to tell you that the UK will be visiting us Tuesday and Wednesday…to speak to the travel agency about the process of getting a visa, and …to speak to the visa experts. So the British are working with us to ensure that legitimate travel to the UK,” Pierre added.

Last week, London said that St Lucian travellers would require a transit visa for transiting through the United Kingdom to another destination. The new measures go into effect immediately.

According to the March 4, 2026 correspondence from the UK Home Office, the decision was taken as part of the United Kingdom’s broader efforts to strengthen border management and respond to pressures within its immigration and asylum systems.

London said that there has been a “notable increase in St Lucian nationals entering the UK as visitors and subsequently claiming asylum, which it says has placed pressure on its border and asylum processes”.

The UK authorities have also advised that a six-week transition period will be in place until April 16, 2026, during which St Lucian nationals who already possess an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) and have booked travel prior to the policy change may continue to enter the United Kingdom visa-free if they arrive before the end of the transition window.

Pierre, said that he was “personally handed a copy of the letter” with the ‘bad news’ that was signed by Mike Tapp, the minister for Migration and Citizenship, by the British High Commissioner.

He said that the letter indicated that the United Kingdom and other countries, including the United States and France, are reviewing their migration policies “and the reasons identified by the United Kingdom, which are in that letter (are) an increase in asylum applications in the United Kingdom by individuals travelling on St Lucian passports”.

Quoting from the letter, Pierre said that the UK said it had noted that in recent years, it had “experienced a substantial increase in St Lucian nationals presenting as visitors, but subsequently claiming asylum.”

Pierre said that according to the letter “this has created considerable pressure on our border and asylum systems that cannot be ignored and indicates a pattern of misuse.

“Therefore, after careful consideration, the United Kingdom has decided to introduce a visit requirement for nationals of St
Lucian travelling to the UK, along with a direct airside transit visit requirement for those transiting through the UK to other destinations. This is necessary and a targeted step to safeguard the integrity of the UK immigration system due to the immediate challenges posed by asylum-related misuse,” he read from the letter.

“This decision has not been taken lightly. It reflects our responsibility to act where evidence shows that existing arrangements are no longer sustainable,” according to the letter, with the British minister saying “I appreciate the steps St Lucia continues to take to strengthen its domestic security, justice systems and border management, including efforts to tackle serious and organised crime.

“These initiatives are recognised and valued by the UK and reflect our shared interest in ensuring safe and secure movement between our countries,” Pierre said, telling reporters that anyone making statements other than what are contained in the letter does not know what they are talking about.

He acknowledged that the UK has had long-standing concerns about the Citizenship by Investment (CBI) programme in St Lucia and the wider Eastern Caribbean region, through which foreign investors are granted citizenship of these islands in return for making a substantial contribution to their socio-economic development.

According to the letter, recent known incidents have highlighted risks of individuals who purchase St Lucian citizenship travelling to the UK for this purpose of claiming asylum.

The UK Migration and Citizenship minister said while “I recognise and welcome St Lucia’s ongoing reforms in this area, I continue to have ongoing concerns around the sale of citizenships to nationals from regions where the UK operates a visa regime.

“I’m also concerned about the legacy risks presented by the individuals who have gained citizenship over the last decade, and we’d like to continue working with you and your team to manage and mitigate those shared risks in a way that protects our respective interests.”

Pierre said that there were the reasons given by the UK for the visitor visa, reiterating that legitimate travel to the UK continues.

“I want to say again, again to St Lucian nationals, even when they get a visa to go to the UK or to the US, do not overstay your time. This is something we can control. Do not overstay your time when you get to the UK or to the US. That is the main reason as written in the letter. And I want to also say to the people of St Lucian that the letter says, to support a smooth and orderly transition, a six-week window will apply until 16 April 2026,” Pierre said.

Pierre said that during this period, St Lucians who hold an ETA obtained before the introduction of the visa requirement, and who have pre-booked travel, may continue to enter the UK visa-free, provided they arrive before the end of the transition period.

“These changes will not affect those who are exempt from immigration control, such as serving diplomats on a posting, or serving government ministers travelling to the UK on official business. They continue not to require a visa. So that’s not immediate….it’s a six-week window for those who have booked their tickets, and as I said before, the principal reason as stated in that letter, the principal reason, a substantial increase in St Lucian nationals presenting as visitors but subsequently claiming asylum.

“Now, the numbers may sound small compared to what’s happening in the world, but we have no control over UK government policy or American government policy. Our job is to take control of what we can control,” Pierre told reporters.