Coronavirus restrictions mean that Brits may not be able to visit the European mainland after January 1, when the Brexit transition period ends.
Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab has admitted that travel from Britain to the European mainland may be disrupted as a result of coronavirus restrictions once the Brexit transition period ends.
The UK will no longer be part of the EU’s freedom of movement rules after January 1.
Only a few countries with low COVID rates are exempt from rules that prevent non-essential visitors from outside the European Union and European Economic Area (EEA).
These include Australia, New Zealand and South Korea – but a spokesperson for the European Union Commission said last week there were no plans to extend that to the UK. “This is a decision the council has to make,” he said.
Now, Raab told BBC Radio 4’s Today program: “The COVID-19 restrictions will depend on the mix of what the European Union decides, as well as the member states.
“We have already faced challenges however and have set our own restrictions.”
He admitted that the Coronavirus “remains a live problem and we need to make sure that we get it under control.”
“I fear that the travel restrictions will inevitably be something under review.”
In response to a question whether this would mean that the British will have difficulty going to the European mainland, he said: “It all depends on the spread of the virus in those European countries.”
