PEOPLE travelling on refugee family reunion visas should be exempt from paying the £1,750 hotel quarantine fee, the Red Cross has said. 

The charity wants to ensure adults and unaccompanied children can continue their journeys to Scotland without facing "unmanageable" charges.

It said there is still no detail on which groups are exempt from the fee and called for "urgent clarity". 

Green MSP Alison Johnstone raised the issue in Holyrood and called for "full and clearer guidance" on the Managed Isolation Welfare Fund, which aims to support those who cannot afford the charge.

SNP Transport Secretary Michael Matheson said he believed "the information which the British Red Cross were looking for has actually been provided to them earlier on today". 

However the Red Cross said it still does not have the information it needs. 

Phil Arnold, head of refugee support at the British Red Cross, said: "We want to make sure that the new rules continue to allow Scotland to fulfil its duty of protecting adults and unaccompanied children arriving on family reunion visas to reunite with their loved ones.

"There's a risk that some of the families, taking their final few steps to being reunited in Scotland, face an unexpected and unaffordable fee which can’t be met by them or charities helping them.

"We’ve been proud to work with the Scottish Government in creating a welcoming environment for new Scots and want to make sure that these emerging issues for refugee families are resolved, so that whatever someone’s circumstances are, they can arrive, isolate safely and not face further hardship.

"The Government needs to urgently publish full guidance on exemptions so people are able to make a decision about whether or not they can travel to Scotland for valid and important reasons in the coming days." 

The Red Cross said unaccompanied children should also have protection in the new rules, ensuring they can self-isolate in line with other vulnerable groups. 

It said this needs to be published in guidance so that there is clarity on what to expect when arriving in a Scottish airport.

The charity estimates that up to 600 individuals will arrive in Scotland on family reunion visas in the next twelve months. 

Ms Johnstone said: “Despite what the minister told me, there remains a lack of clarity about what support is available for vulnerable people entering Scotland, especially refugee children on their own with a family reunion visa. 

"There will be many more who cannot afford the £1,750 quarantine fee.

"Not everybody travelling is an elite sportsperson or business executive, so there is an urgent need for guidance for vulnerable people who may be caught up in the system through no fault of their own."

A Scottish Government spokeswoman said: "We are seeking to ensure that people travelling on family reunion visas are exempted from hotel quarantine fees - and we will give an update shortly."