Palestinian schoolchildren from Askar refugee camp denied visas for UK visit

Bolton MP Yasmin Qureshi hits out at Home Office over 'highly regrettable' decision

The pupils from Palestine will miss out on a visit to Bolton after being refused UK visas. Getty

A group of schoolchildren from Palestine has been barred by the Home Office from visiting Bolton, a town in Greater Manchester in England, this summer.

The youngsters, who live in the Askar refugee camp near Nablus, have been frequent visitors to the town in recent years, courtesy of efforts from Bolton residents.

Julia Simpkins, a National Union of Education official and one of the organisers of the annual visit, revealed the pupils' visa applications had been denied, effectively preventing them from entering the UK.

Ms Simpkins, who lives in Bolton, said: “The reason they [the Home Office] gave for not giving them the visas is that they say they weren’t sure that they [the schoolchildren] would return home at the end of the visit.

“But the idea that an 11 year old would stay in England and not return to their parents seems pretty crazy to me.”

Ms Simpkins also highlighted the lack of communication regarding the decision. “Nobody bothered to get in touch with me and check this,” she said.

A Home Office representative on Friday said: "All visa applications are carefully considered on their individual merits, on the basis of the evidence provided and in accordance with the immigration rules.

"We do not routinely comment on individual cases."

Bolton South-East MP Yasmin Qureshi, who was scheduled to meet the pupils alongside other MPs, criticised the decision to deny them visas.

“This is a highly regrettable situation," she said. "It is clearly unfair as I understand that all but one of the children had visas granted to visit the UK previously.”

Groups of schoolchildren from Askar refugee camp in Palestine have visited Bolton in previous years. AFP

According to the UN, the Askar camp is one of the most densely populated in Palestine's West Bank, with its inhabitants suffering from poor building quality, cramped living conditions and overcrowding.

The camp has long been subjected to regular Israeli army activity, with an incident in May resulting in the loss of a 22-year-old man's life.

Children from Askar, age 11 to 17, have been regular visitors to Bolton and the wider North-west region as a result of Ms Simpkins's efforts.

The trips have involved staying with families throughout the borough, meeting the town's MPs and enjoying trips to the beach in Blackpool, all designed to offer respite from the harsh conditions endured in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.

This year's anticipated trip, which should have already been under way, had aimed to replicate the activities of previous visits.

“We were planning for them to meet the MPs and the mayor and to speak in some of the schools, mosques and one of the churches," Ms Simpkins said. "And then I was going to take them to the seaside.”