adminLONDON. — The Home Office has rejected a family’s plea to allow the grandparents of a five-year-old girl to come to Britain to attend her funeral despite a personal promise hours before by David Cameron to intervene in the case.
The Zimbabwean grandparents and aunt of Andrea Gada, who died after being hit by a car just before Christmas in Eastbourne, Sussex, have been refused temporary travel visas to attend her funeral.
The immigration minister, James Brokenshire, turned down a public offer by the family’s MP to act as a personal guarantor that Andrea’s relatives would return home to Zimbabwe after her funeral.
The Bishop of Chichester has condemned Brokenshire’s decision, telling him: “This cannot be right. It offends at the most elementary level of human compassion.”
Andrea’s father, Wellington, said: “Ever since our beloved daughter was tragically killed we have tried in vain to get my wife’s father, mother and sister who live in Zimbabwe to attend her funeral. This would give our two remaining children, and our ourselves, much needed comfort at this grieving moment.”
The Eastbourne community, including Andrea’s school, Shinewater primary, have rallied around her refugee parents, Wellington and Charity Gada, to raise more than £5 000 to enable her relatives to travel. Andrea’s funeral has had to be postponed until the situation is resolved.
Cameron promised he would review the case after the family’s MP, Stephen Lloyd, raised it at prime minister’s question time last Wednesday. The Liberal Democrat MP for Eastbourne told Cameron the entry visas had been refused because the Home Office believed the relatives would abscond, and offered to personally guarantee that they would return to Zimbabwe.
Cameron promised to look into the case, saying it was heartbreaking when children were killed in accidents: “I will certainly look at the case — I was just discussing it with the home secretary — and make sure that the Home Office has a careful look to see what can be done.” — The Guardian.
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