Note, she has not been refused a visa, but cannot get one in time owing to the biometric system and the way it is operated and basically because of the isolation of Gaza .... We are very upset about this; owing to the timing, we are not hopeful that she can come with the others (if they come now as we hope). However we do promise to highlight this case and challenge the system. We hope that Nisreen's visa can be sorted by the time of our next youth visit (women at end of Feb/ early March)
The photos here are of Nisreen, since her childhood, taking part in events at Afaq Jadeed centre in Gaza.
Press release 23rd January 2014
·
West
Bankers travel but students from Gaza not certain to join ‘CADFA Winter
Olympics’ student exchange in UK
·
Girl with
one hand unable to get British entry visa as she cannot provide ten
fingerprints
·
Ten days
of Palestinian-UK youth cultural exchange about to begin
Camden Abu Dis Friendship Association’s
exciting student exchange, ‘CADFA Winter Olympics’ is about to begin ten days
of workshops, university visits, sports and cultural exchange in the Peak
District and In London. But the Gaza participants may be late and the a girl
who lost her hand has been unable to get her British visa along with her group.
Nine university students and a leader from
the West Bank are already on their way to Britain and students from the UK
excitedly preparing to meet them at a residential in the Peak District.
The other nine members of the delegation are
from Gaza and waiting still for the chance to exit the Gaza Strip via the crossing
point to Egypt, Rafah. The border is
open for short times and thousands queuing. CADFA has written letters to policy
makers in the UK and in Egypt to try to secure their exit. Hundreds have signed a petition in their support:
petitions24.com/let_the_gaza_students_travel
The delegation are really shocked that Nisreen
Muhareb, aged 18, who has only one hand, has been unable to get a British visa
as she cannot provide ten fingerprints. The isolation of Gaza has meant that no
one can over-ride the biometric machine in the British Consulate and the Amman
Embassy cannot authorise the visa.
“In Britain, access issues for people with
disabilities are rightly very important” said Nandita Dowson, Director of CADFA:
“We are outraged to find that British procedures are discriminating against
Nisreen because she has lost a hand.”.
“Is this the right way to deal with a young
student with special needs?” writes Dr Mona Al Farrah from Gaza, “Does
bureaucracy come above humanity?”
The disappointment of Nisreen and the
nail-biting wait of the other Gaza students are due to the isolation of Gaza.
Over one and a half million people live in a tiny space encircled by Israel
with only two ways out – Erez crossing to Israel (most people cannot go that
way) and Rafah crossing to Egypt, which is frequently closed and subject to
many travel restrictions.
The isolation of Gaza contributed to the difficult
medical situation where Nisreen lost her hand as a child, to the way the
British visa system works in Gaza and to the concern that the Gaza participants
may not make it to the CADFA event.
The CADFA student exchange programme will
include many public events and discussions so there is a good chance to meet the
students if they can get here. Universities are organising events; there is a
spoken word event in Brixton next Thursday, Raast are playing in King’s Cross
on Friday; and on Saturday CADFA are organising a conference at UCL London on
student twinning with Palestine.
The need to end the isolation of Gaza will be
high on the agenda as will be the case of Nisreen, even if her colleagues
manage to make it.
More information from contact@camdenabudis.net / Nandita
Dowson 07791536620
Project description here
Project blog here maantogether2014.blogspot.co.uk
List of events during the student visit here https://www.dropbox.com/s/aoaqtbp0nf02cxu/public%20events.docx
Gaza students petition here
petitions24.com/let_the_gaza_students_travel
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