British competitiveness at risk from visa system that rejects conference delegates, warn scientists

Medical conferences may have to be moved abroad unless the Home Office changes policy over the issuing of visas, the head of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine has warned.

Peter Piot said that 17 would-be delegates were prevented from attending the Women Leaders in Global Health conference, held at the school on 8-9 November, because they were denied visas by the Home Office. He called for an urgent review of the rejected applications and wrote to the home secretary, Sajid Javid, warning that British competitiveness was being affected.

His complaints have been backed by the president of the Royal Society, Venti Ramakrishnan, and the director of the Wellcome Trust, Jeremy Farrar. …