London to ask for deposits for Moroccan tourist-visa applicants

British Home secretary of state in charge of immigration, Barbara Roche, told early this week the Parliament that the government meant to ask for cash-deposits from Moroccans willing to visit family and relatives in Great-Britain.

Roche said the measure will be applied, in a first stage, to Moroccan and Filipino nationals as of next October.

The move initially meant for the Indian sub-continent with deposits of about £ 3,000, has been re-routed --following demonstrations by human rights organization denouncing it is sheer racism--towards friendly non-Commonwealth countries.

In 1998, British consular services in Casablanca turned down 350 visa applications.