MirBadshah
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UK stops online visa facility for India
http://in.news.yahoo.com/070520/211/6g0er.html
Enlarge PhotoBy IBNlive.com
Sunday May 20, 07:46 AM
London: Travelling to the UK for studies or job has just got tougher. Britain has suspended its online visa application facility for India citing security concerns. Out of the 417,000 Indians who applied for visas to come to Britain last year, over 50,000 had applied online.
A report telecast by Channel 4 on Thursday said security lapses in the application process had made personal details (like home addresses, dates of birth and passport numbers) of 50,000 online applicants freely available on the Net. The British Government has ordered a probe into the security lapse. Sources, however, say that the suspension could be temporary.
According to Channel 4, it was one of the Indian visa applicants who pointed out the lapse to the British authorities in India in April.
Visa processing in India, Russia and Nigeria had been contracted out by the British Foreign Office to a private Indian company, named VFS Global.
In February this year, the British Foreign Office had awarded VFS a five-year contract worth £190 million for the visa processing. Apart from India, the online visa application process in the two other countries has also been suspended.
The Indian company handles visa applications for 14 countries and UK is their biggest client. But the company could soon be losing its business and Britain has taken the security threat very seriously.
Britain's Information Commissioner, the government's data privacy watchdog, will investigate the matter. The commissioner is learnt to have asked for a 'full explanation' from the Foreign Office. The Foreign Office is likely to say something on the issue sometime next week.
Britain's Opposition Conservative Party has expressed serious concern over the security breach, pointing to the risk of these data being exploited by terrorists. Terming it as an "Indian Visa Fiasco", Shadow immigration minister Damian Green said, "This may have been a treasure trove for international terrorists."
http://in.news.yahoo.com/070520/211/6g0er.html
Enlarge PhotoBy IBNlive.com
Sunday May 20, 07:46 AM
London: Travelling to the UK for studies or job has just got tougher. Britain has suspended its online visa application facility for India citing security concerns. Out of the 417,000 Indians who applied for visas to come to Britain last year, over 50,000 had applied online.
A report telecast by Channel 4 on Thursday said security lapses in the application process had made personal details (like home addresses, dates of birth and passport numbers) of 50,000 online applicants freely available on the Net. The British Government has ordered a probe into the security lapse. Sources, however, say that the suspension could be temporary.
According to Channel 4, it was one of the Indian visa applicants who pointed out the lapse to the British authorities in India in April.
Visa processing in India, Russia and Nigeria had been contracted out by the British Foreign Office to a private Indian company, named VFS Global.
In February this year, the British Foreign Office had awarded VFS a five-year contract worth £190 million for the visa processing. Apart from India, the online visa application process in the two other countries has also been suspended.
The Indian company handles visa applications for 14 countries and UK is their biggest client. But the company could soon be losing its business and Britain has taken the security threat very seriously.
Britain's Information Commissioner, the government's data privacy watchdog, will investigate the matter. The commissioner is learnt to have asked for a 'full explanation' from the Foreign Office. The Foreign Office is likely to say something on the issue sometime next week.
Britain's Opposition Conservative Party has expressed serious concern over the security breach, pointing to the risk of these data being exploited by terrorists. Terming it as an "Indian Visa Fiasco", Shadow immigration minister Damian Green said, "This may have been a treasure trove for international terrorists."
