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Islington Central Methodist Church members, from left, Theo Okwan, Tina Boateng and Dawn Coates, with Rev Paul Weary |
AIRPORT BAR ON THE GOOD SAMARITANS
Volunteers flew from Florida to paint church but were sent back
A PARTY of 14 volunteers from a Methodist church in Florida on their way to Islington were turned back at Gatwick Airport on Tuesday under new anti-terror rules.
The shocked group, many in floods of tears, described how they were kept in an airport waiting area for more than four hours and “made to feel like criminals” after falling foul of new regulations.
They had fingerprints and photographs taken by immigration officials and were allowed just one phone call to the American Embassy in London before being put back on a plane to the US.
Even a sympathetic official from the US Embassy, who escorted the party back onto the plane for the return journey, told the leader of the group: “The rules are rubbish.”
The volunteers, from First United Methodist Church of Okeechobee, were planning to visit Islington Central Methodist Church in Liverpool Road as part of a nine-day trip.
For at least four days they would have been painting and decorating the church and tidying the premises and grounds in time for an anniversary celebration on Sunday, when the building is due to be rededicated.
They staged fundraising events and saved for a year before the London trip. The volunteers have lost an estimated £10,000 as a result of the cancelled visit, including air fares, pre-booked hotels, theatre and sightseeing trips.
The group fell victim to a points-based system for visa applications designed to deter illegal workers and potential terrorists. Under this system, religious workers and charity volunteers must apply for a certificate of sponsorship and a visa. American tourists would normally not require visas.
Immigration officers at the airport judged that, as the church visit included voluntary work, the group should be classified as charity workers rather than tourists and could not be admitted without a certificate of sponsorship.
Islington South and Finsbury Labour MP Emily Thornberry said: “I suggest the officers should have looked more carefully at the discretion they have. This was a definite over-reaction.”
She is to write to Home Secretary Alan Johnson to ask him to issue some guidance.
The man who led the trip, Pastor Jim Dawson, 43, speaking by phone from Florida last night (Thursday), said the group were still upset. They had spent almost 20 hours on flights to and from Britain.
Mr Dawson described how he “pleaded and pleaded” with officials for his party to be able to stay. “I said have mercy. We’re a church group,” he said. “We’re not terrorists. We’re not threatening anyone’s national security.
“People were crying when they heard they were being sent back.
“Immigration officials were presumably keeping to the letter of the law. But this law is without compassion or understanding. They could have run background checks, spoken to the Methodist church.
“All we wanted to do was to help our sister church in Islington prepare for its anniversary, and do a bit of sightseeing.” The group arrived at Gatwick at 6.40am on Tuesday, were banned from using mobile phones and were sent back on two separate flights just after 11am.
Islington Central Methodist Church minister the Rev Paul Weary asked the immigration officer whether the group could be admitted as tourists on assurance that they would not engage in any prohibited unpaid work. This was refused.
He said members of his church were “disgusted and embarrassed” at the lack of hospitality shown to the American group.
Rev Weary called for the visa situation to be given better publicity as it could have implications for other groups and individuals.
Civil rights lawyer Greg Foxsmith was shocked to hear the rules were interpreted in such a harsh way.
Mr Foxsmith, an Islington Lib Dem councillor, said: “It seems Britain is showing a cold, hard face to people who are coming here to do some good.
“This is a loss not just to the young people turned back but to our community in Islington.
“If there is any justice I would hope that the group do eventually come back to Islington and that we welcome them and show them true hospitality.”
A UK Border Agency spokesman said: “We want the UK to stay open for people who want to come to the UK for non-economic objectives, such as charity workers.
“Tier five of our new Australian-style, points-based system allows temporary workers to travel to the UK for non-economic reasons.
“This includes charity workers, religious workers and government-authorised cultural exchanges.
“Individuals who fall under this category are required to ensure they have the relevant documentation required for travel.
“All migrants, not just charity workers, coming to the UK to work or study require a certificate of sponsorship.
“Anyone without this certificate and the right visa will be refused entry. It is only right that those who benefit from the great cultural contribution migrants bring with them, play their part though our system of sponsorship in ensuring that the system is not being abused.
“We’d like to take this opportunity to remind other groups arranging similar visits of the changes in the rules.”
Groups need to apply for certificates of sponsorship before welcoming visitors from outside the EU.
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Your comments:
AN eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, this should be done to anyone entering the USA from England. It was an act of discrimination, maybe they should have been doing volunteer work for the gov't and not the lord.
R. Ammons
THIS was a great article. My fourteen year old daughter was one of the fourteen. Not only did they fingerprint her, photograph her, they also searched her and interigated her. They asked her questions that she had no idea how to answer. I think the hardest part for her to get past is the fact that she has actually been deported from a country that she has only dreamed of visiting her intire life. She has her deportation letter and just looking at it she starts crying. She has truly dreamed of this trip for 18 months and for this to happen has been a nightmare. Through all of what happened she is still ready and willing to go back. This would have been her second missions trip. Last year she traveled to Mississippi with her church youth group and worked on two houses that were damaged during Hurricane Katrina. Thanks again for this article.
A. Shirley
I DO not understand what happend here - they are volunteers and not being paid so why did The Border Agency spokesman say they needed tier 5 which is a permit for temporary workers - they needed a special visitor visa - The problem is that people both visitors and those enforcing these ridiculous rules do not know how to interpret them - my organisation has had a team of solicitors to advise and we are still in the dark - R Ammons is right the lash back will begin for British organisations trying to do business abroad - By the way check out the special visa application form - it asks wheter you have been proscuted for genocide and wheter you are a member of a terrorist organisation - please tick approiate box - No I am not joking - this is absolutely true.
Melo
IGNORANCE - I remember seven years ago when I applied for my visa to enter the UK there was a woman next to me applying for a visa as well, unfortunately she didn't know where she would be staying, what sort of work she would be doing or how long she would be in the UK. You see her fiancé was a championship footballer, of substantial fame in my home country, and her assumption was such that all she was required to present to the High Commission was his name... Her application was refused.
Arrogance - We all know that, generally speaking, people from certain countries have bit more "attitude" in their general persona, fueled by a culture of self-belief (they are the best, land of the free, their way or the highway etc) and a customer service system that panders to their every need (“disgusted and embarrassed” at the lack of hospitality shown to the American group), topped with the fact that they are doing the work of God - who dares turn them back with or without the proper paperwork? This may not be the case here but there are always two (and sometimes three) sides to a story.
What if - This group were Muslim and coming to do work on Finsbury mosque... would we have the same reaction to their deportation? No terrorists would admit to being a terrorist and would loudly proclaim not to be so the reverend's proclamation of "We’re a church group” and “We’re not terrorists. We’re not threatening anyone’s national security" would have no bearing on any immigration officer (nor should it ever).
What if - The immigration officer used his/her "discretion" and let the group in, one member of the group never returns to their home country and is involved in a terrorist plot that kills a few British citizens, it emerges in the press that this individual was allowed into the country without the proper credentials/proceedures being followed... I would think there would be serious repercussions for that said immigration officer and probably even the Home Secretary???
Immigration is a big issue in this country - especially at election time - It is easy and "natural" for human beings to point the finger and take out their frustration on someone who is not of the same clan. The rules and laws are becoming harder and stricter as the government is put under more and more pressure to "control" immigration. Unfortunately these rules only "control" the people seeking to enter the country legally and normally with positive intentions, they do very little to "control" the person who comes in on a visitors visa and then disappears, or those who come across the border on the back of a lorry or a boat from the continent. But the government must be seen to be doing something.
However, it is always the person travelin's responsibility to ensure their travel documents are in order, in the case of minors it is the parent or guardian's responsibility to ensure whoever is organising the "field trip" is aware etc etc regardless of where you are coming from or where you are going. It is not the responsibility of the immigration department to do "background checks" at the point of entry. Any combination of ignorance and arrogance (especially in these times) can and will lead to unfortunate incidents.
K. Morrison
"Arrogance - We all know that, generally speaking, people from certain countries have bit more "attitude" in their general persona, fueled by a culture of self-belief (they are the best, land of the free, their way or the highway etc) and a customer service system that panders to their every need (“disgusted and embarrassed” at the lack of hospitality shown to the American group), topped with the fact that they are doing the work of God - who dares turn them back with or without the proper paperwork? This may not be the case here but there are always two (and sometimes three) sides to a story." These comments are nonsense. It is completely lacking in common sense turning this group away and I would say the same thing if in an identical situation, a group of Brits were turned away from the USA.
K. Hill
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