Remove Pakistan from red list for travel
This petition gathered 134,665 signatures between 8 April 2021 and 8 October 2021, according to the Parliament petitions site. The Government responded on 11 May 2021.
The petition
The petition's creator is not named in the Petitions site's published record. Quoted in full from the UK Parliament petitions site.
Remove Pakistan from red list for travel
Remove Pakistan from the red list. Thousands of people are stuck in Pakistan! Families are struggling financially and don’t have enough to come wit! No direct flights are being run! Help us come home!
To remove the ban of hotel quarantine! Help people come back to their homes and be with their families for Ramadan!
The Government's response
The Government published its response on 11 May 2021; the petitions site lists the Department for Transport as responsible. Its summary:
The Government has made it consistently clear it will take decisive action, if necessary, to contain the virus and Pakistan has been added to the “Red List” to protect public health.
The response in full:
The Government recognise the impact that the decision to place Pakistan on the red list will have on individuals. However, it is right that the Government does all it can to reduce the risk of new strains of COVID-19 being imported into the UK.
The decision was taken to protect against new variants of COVID-19 at a critical time for the vaccine programme. The addition of Pakistan to the red list was based on data alongside a consideration of the recommendations of the Joint Biosecurity Centre (JBC). With over 30 million vaccinations delivered in the UK so far, the additional restrictions will help to reduce the risk of new variants entering the country.
We offer deferred payment plans and hardship support for people who cannot afford to pay for the cost of this managed quarantine and testing up front. In some circumstances this may be available to those who are not in receipt of income related benefits.
The Pakistani community makes a huge contribution to British society and plays an important role in our relations with Pakistan. The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) regularly engages on issues with the Pakistani community including any changes to our policy on travel restrictions during this pandemic.
Department of Health and Social Care
Where the signatures came from
Signatures came from 644 constituencies on the boundaries used until the 2024 general election. The largest number, 3,947, came from Birmingham, Hodge Hill.
132,308 of the signatures were from the UK and 2,357 from elsewhere, by the location signers gave.
| Constituency | Signatures |
|---|---|
| Birmingham, Hodge Hill | 3,947 |
| Bradford West | 3,601 |
| Slough | 3,433 |
| Ilford South | 3,046 |
| Birmingham, Hall Green | 2,985 |
| Bradford East | 2,672 |
| Manchester, Gorton | 2,506 |
| Luton North | 2,047 |
| East Ham | 1,947 |
| Rochdale | 1,884 |
| Region | Signatures |
|---|---|
| London | 27,432 |
| North West | 23,262 |
| West Midlands | 22,260 |
| Yorkshire and The Humber | 18,824 |
| South East | 13,392 |
| East of England | 8,903 |
| East Midlands | 5,430 |
| Scotland | 5,295 |
| North East | 1,673 |
| South West | 1,628 |
| Wales | 1,305 |
| Northern Ireland | 230 |
Debate in Parliament
MPs debated the petition in Westminster Hall on .
The Petitions Committee's summary of the debate:
The Petitions Committee have decided not to schedule a debate on this petition.
The Committee recognised the support that the petition had received. However, the central request of the petition has now been met with the Government's announcement that Pakistan is to be removed from the 'red list' for international travel. You can read more about changes to international travel rules here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/red-amber-and-green-list-rules-for-entering-england.
The Secretary of State for Transport, Grant Shapps MP, made a statement in the House of Commons on international travel on Monday 20 September, covering the changes to international travel rules. You can read the statement here: https://committees.parliament.uk/committee/326/petitions-committee/news/99341/committee-opens-consultation-on-its-working-methods.
Source and receipt
- https://petition.parliament.uk/archived/petitions/581974.jsonUK Parliament Petitions API · read 2026-10-15 · SHA-256
29a93a11538b2a4d… - The petition on petition.parliament.uk
The petition's words are its creator's and the response is the Government's; this site quotes both and gives no view on either. Signature counts can still change while a petition is open. To report an error, send a correction request.