Visiting Olympic athletes, coaches and officials will be banned from marrying while they are in Britain because of Home Office concerns that they will exploit the Games to try to claim residency.
Nearly 20,000 people from outside the EU will be issued with six-month visas that bar them from forming any civil partnerships or marriages. They will also be barred from applying for visas to study in Britain. The restrictions were imposed amid concerns that the Olympics will be a target for illegal immigrants and terrorists trying to get into Britain.
The UK Border Agency is so concerned about people abusing their visas that it has told all 204 national Olympic committees to inform their athletes, coaches and officials of restrictions during their stay in Britain.
They will be required to provide evidence that they will be in the UK for no longer than six months and will not take any other form of employment. They will also have to demonstrate that they have enough money to support themselves and meet the cost of their return journey.
Athletes and officials will all have fingerprints and face-scans taken when they arrive, which UK Border Agency officials believe could lead to longer queues. A temporary terminal is being built at Heathrow to try to take the strain of accredited people as well as millions of ticketholders and visitors, according to The Telegraph.
