TERRIBLE visa system

Who can believe how difficult this UK visa system is for Palestinians who has not done it? How many obstacles on the way? It is as complicated as the Israeli checkpoint system... and I (from London) am ashamed of it. Look below at the issues for our LEADERS group and our STUDENTS group. We also want you to know that we are unhappy with this system and we have put in a formal complaint (as well as trying very hard to work with it).

We have also included the visa issue at point 2 of our recent petition which we we are sending to the British government.

Here is the petition.

This is what we said...

(2)    Challenging the racism of the illegal settlement movement: while Israel continues to hold on to Palestinian land and to operate settlements on it, the UK should put Israelis and Palestinians in the same legal bracket.  This would mean a change, for example, to current UKBA rules that make visas unnecessary for Israelis and difficult for Palestinians.

As long as Israelis are settling Palestine and living on its land, the UK should make them subject to the same visa rules.  

With the visas on this project, we have had so many problems and we will write about them properly. Right now

(1) LEADERS' GROUP

The leaders' group had to wait a very long time before they could put in their applications although we tried very hard to get them in as soon as we knew about the project. In the end, their applications could not go in before 5th November. We were told that from this point, it would take 15 working days (three weeks). TWO WEEKS LATER, each of them got a letter, telling them that their passports and applications had been received in Amman, and they would have an answer within 15 working days (which could take the whole thing to 5 weeks after the original wait).

We originally planned for this visit to begin on 15th November. More recently, we have been planning and booking accommodation etc, for it to start on 5th December.

This is now not secure and we need to remake all of our bookings. We are really very sorry to anyone this inconveniences. We will now start the project on 12th December (travel day 11th). SORRY ALL - There is nothing we can do.

(2) STUDENTS' GROUP

The students had visa appointments booked in Ramallah on 19th November. When they got there, six of them who have Jerusalem residency were not allowed to put in their applications in Ramallah. The UK visa system has chosen to echo the divisions made by Israel which have no international recognition. CADFA has put in a formal complaint.

Meanwhile we are also arguing for a refund - and have had to pay again PLUS EXTRA so that they can apply in Jerusalem.

The system is full of inequality.