The UK government placed Nigeria on the COVID-19 red alert list on Saturday 4 December 2021, with the resulting negative impact of the new measures coming into effect on 6 December 2021 at 4 am. Effectively less than 48 hours after the measures were first announced by the government. This is an unfair and unreasonable implementation of the new measures.

I am a British citizen and travelled to Nigeria at the end of November 2021, for me and for other British citizens visiting Nigeria, working, engaged in business or studying in Nigeria, this has come about at very short notice resulting in a challenging and impossible attempt to reschedule flights to the UK.

I and countless UK citizens have attempted to change our flights in an attempt to return to the UK before 4 am on Monday morning the 6 December 2021, when the new measures will be implemented in the UK for UK citizens arriving in the UK from Nigeria.

Attempts to change the flight have caused an unquantifiable amount of stress and searches through all available airline flight options, online, calling airlines and travel agents and all to no avail as the airlines were unprepared, inundated and unable to cope with the surging levels of demand.

The UK government has been very unreasonable, unfair and inconsiderate towards its citizens currently in Nigeria. They have given less than 48 hours' notice to citizens in Nigeria. The new rules require all UK citizens returning to the UK from Nigeria whether they have been fully vaccinated or not to take a PCR test or lateral flow test a maximum of 48 hours prior to departure, upon receiving a negative result, passengers returning are then expected to spend ten days in self-isolation at designated hotels listed by the UK government and to incur an expense of £2,285 for this and the additional expense of taking a further day two and day eight PCR test.

This shows a blatant disregard and a lack of concern by the UK government for its own citizens, they seek to penalise and punish, citizens who are returning regardless of whether they are fully vaccinated or not and regardless of the fact that a PCR test would prove that they are Covid negative.

UK citizens should be given more time to make arrangements to leave Nigeria, at least a minimum of seven days, and regardless of whether they are fully vaccinated or not. Everyone is required to take a legitimate PCR test from one of the recognised, registered and reputable clinics before entering the UK. UK citizens should therefore have the right to self isolate in their homes. Everyone’s circumstances vary, there will be people returning home with families and or young children, returning home to look after their children, carers who are looking after elderly or vulnerable people, people who were meant to return to work.

Not everyone can afford the £2,285 that the government are stating must be paid by each person to self isolate in a designated hotel for ten days and then to pay separately for the day two and day eight Covid test all of which the government has stipulated is mandatory, and not everyone will be in a position to extend their stay in Nigeria until this issue has been resolved because no one knows how long that will be.

I would really appreciate your understanding and support with this petition and have chosen to highlight the problem on behalf of myself and all the other  UK citizens in Nigeria who have been subjected to this.