UK travel restrictions: what went wrong?

‘As international travel restarted in the summer of 2021, passengers were subjected to a traffic light system that was opaque, ambiguous and inconsistent’ – Transport Select Committee. By Simon Calder

Arrivals at Heathrow Terminal 5 (PA)

Disproportionate, unscientific and ineffective: that is the damning assessment of the UK government’s Covid travel restrictions by the Transport Select Committee.

So what went wrong, and could it happen again? These are the key questions and answers.

When did the UK first introduce Covid travel restrictions?