THIS week the government announced plans to jail people for up to 10 years if they are caught lying about their movements in a fresh bid to tackle new coronavirus variants.

The sentences are to be brought in for travellers who try to conceal journeys to high-risk countries.

But the measures have been branded “extraordinarily high” and senior legal experts have express concern that the rules now carry stiffer punishments than some serious violent and sexual offences.

WHAT ARE THE NEW TRAVEL RULES?

In a briefing this week, Health Secretary Matt Hancock announced a requirement for UK residents returning to England from 33 “red list” countries to pay £1,750 to quarantine for 10 days in Government-designated hotels.

And the Health Secretary said those caught lying about their movements could be fined £10,000 or be jailed for 10 years.

It comes amid concerns over home-grown coronavirus strains as scientists advising the Government added one detected in Bristol to its “variant of concern” list.

“We are coming down hard on people who provide false information on the passenger locator form,” Matt Hancock told MPs.

“Anyone who lies on the passenger locator form and tries to conceal that they have been in a country on the ‘red list’ in the ten days before arrival here, will face a prison sentence of up to ten years.”

WHY HAS THERE BEEN A BACKLASH?

While many welcome tougher rules, concerns have been raised that the punishments don't stack up against some very serious crimes, which carry far lighter jail terms.

Former Supreme Court justice Lord Sumption hit out at the punishment and said it should not compare to those for violent or sexual crimes.

Writing in the Daily Telegraph, he said: “Does Mr Hancock really think that non-disclosure of a visit to Portugal is worse than the large number of violent firearms offences or sexual offences involving minors, for which the maximum is seven years?”

Former attorney general Dominic Grieve also told the paper: “The maximum sentence of 10 years for what is effectively a regulatory breach sounds, in the circumstances, unless it can be justified, extraordinarily high.”

The travel industry also criticised the new rules. 

Tour operator AITO said: “A 10-year prison sentence seems wildly OTT. People who kill and badly maim others don't get that long in prison.

“They are trying to frighten people, in our view – they should have been stricter early on.”

10 CRIMES THAT CARRY A MAXIMUM 10-YEAR SENTENCE

So, do you think the new rules are in keeping with sentencing guidelines for other offences.

Here are 10 other crimes that carry a ten-year maximum sentence:

  • Possession of a firearm 
  • Rioting
  • Indecent assault
  • Burglary with intent to commit rape
  • Indecency with children under 14
  • Meeting a child following sexual grooming
  • Making threats to kill
  • Administering poison so as to endanger life
  • Cruelty to persons under 16
  • Fraud by false representation

WHAT ARE THE BANNED COUNTRIES

There are currently 33 banned countries, which are part of the new crackdown. 

Hotel quarantine will start on Monday for all arrivals from the following countries:

  • Angola
  • Argentina
  • Bolivia
  • Botswana
  • Brazil
  • Burundi
  • Cape Verde
  • Chile
  • Colombia
  • Democratic Republic of the Congo
  • Ecuador
  • Eswatini
  • French Guiana
  • Guyana
  • Lesotho
  • Malawi
  • Mauritius
  • Mozambique
  • Namibia
  • Panama
  • Paraguay
  • Peru
  • Portugal (including Madeira and the Azores)
  • Rwanda
  • Seychelles
  • South Africa
  • Suriname
  • Tanzania
  • United Arab Emirates (UAE)
  • Uruguay
  • Venezuela
  • Zambia
  • Zimbabwe