Visa loop hole is allowing Chinese spies to slip into Britain

A warning from MI5 has led the Home Office to prepare new visa restrictions on a series of countries being exploited.

James Cleverly has been called ‘Mr Softy’. Picture: Getty Images

MI5 has warned ministers of concerns that Chinese spies are slipping into Britain by gaining citizenship through third countries and using their visa-free access to the UK.

The warning has led the Home Office to prepare new visa restrictions on a series of countries being exploited by the Chinese, senior sources say.

However, the Foreign Office has been accused of blocking the move amid a tit-for-tat row on visa rules. It has led some in government to nickname Foreign Secretray James Cleverly as “Mr Softy”. A Foreign Office source dismissed this characterisation.

MI5 has handed evidence to ministers showing that citizens from hostile states including China have entered the UK after acquiring passports from countries whose citizens are allowed to travel to Britain without the need for a visa.

The intelligence agency fears that they include agents working for the Chinese state. It has also raised concerns that Russian spies could emulate the practice.

The National Crime Agency has also presented evidence that organised crime groups are using the “cash-for-passport” schemes to smuggle people into the UK after several individuals on Interpol’s watchlist were found to be using the route.

Countries that the authorities fear are being exploited by Chinese spies and organised crime groups include Vanuatu, Namibia and East Timor. These are among a growing number of countries that allow foreigners to acquire citizenship by investing or paying a relatively small amount of money in the country. Unlike China, their citizens do not need to obtain a visa to come to the UK for up to six months.

The Home Office drew up plans to impose visa restrictions on countries including Vanuatu, Namibia and East Timor after being handed evidence that several Chinese people working on behalf of the state have entered the UK via these countries.

However, government sources said the Foreign Office had blocked the move because its efforts to lift UK visa restrictions on a list of countries including Indonesia, Thailand and Zambia have themselves been vetoed by the Home Office. The Foreign Office wants to allow visa-free travel for tourists from the countries as part of efforts to improve relations, but the Home Office is reluctant to relax the visa rules.

The Home Office believes that its request should be prioritised because it involves national security concerns.

A government source said: “The Home Office and Foreign Office are fighting this one out. One won’t budge without concessions from the other and we can’t seem to resolve it. The Home Office thinks the other is soft, and the Foreign Office thinks they’re too cautious. There’s some truth in both those arguments.”

A Foreign Office source played down suggestions of a row, insisting that the department had simply asked for the visa restrictions to be delayed.

The source said: “Using appropriate and normal government channels, a plan was put to us and we responded not with any ‘block’ but a request for a short delay in only one instance.” They added that the discussions “could not be characterised accurately as a ‘row’”.

A Home Office spokesman said: “The government keeps the UK’s visa regime under regular review, based on the latest information and intelligence.”

Vanuatu is seen as the most concerning route for potential hostile state spies and criminals. Foreigners can become citizens there within by paying a fee of about $225,000 without even needing to set foot in the country. More than 4000 passports have been granted to Chinese citizens under the scheme.

The Times