Pakistani Christians given leave to visit Scotland after initial visa refusals
Two Pakistani Christians who were twice denied visas to come to Scotland have been given leave to visit, an MP has said.
Two Pakistani Christians who were twice denied visas to come to Scotland have been given leave to visit, an MP has said.
SNP MP Kirsten Oswald said the Home Office has overturned its refusal of the travel visas, which were made through the Faithshare Visitor Programme that is run by the Church of Scotland's World Mission Council.
The Church of Scotland said it gave reassurances to immigration officials about the two would-be visitors but their visas were initially refused because ''they could not prove they were wealthy enough to be allowed into the UK''.
The pair had hoped to visit Glasgow this year as part of moves to create a twinning link between the Kirk's Glasgow Presbytery and the Diocese of Hyderabad.
Ms Oswald, who had raised the issue at Prime Minister's Questions, welcomed the Home Office's reversal.
The East Renfrewshire MP said: "The fact that the refusal has now been overturned rewards the efforts of Greenbank Parish Church who brought this important issue to my attention - and I am delighted that the twinning project will now be able to go ahead.
"The initial decision to refuse visas to the two Pakistani Christians was simply wrong - particularly with it coming down to the applicants being unable to prove they were wealthy enough to be allowed into the UK, despite the visits being fully funded by the Presbytery of Glasgow."
The Very Reverend Bill Hewitt, joint presbytery clerk of the Presbytery of Glasgow, welcomed news of the reversal.
He said: "I am delighted that they have overturned this and that we can get the full complement of visitors to come over.
"We are creating a link between Glasgow Presbytery and the Diocese of Hyderabad and this is just another step in the twinning process.
"Four of us went out last year and four of them are coming here to share in the life of Glasgow."
Two of the group coming from Pakistan have British passports.
The visitors are due to come to Glasgow in February and will stay for a week.
A Home Office spokesman said: "It is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure they submit the required evidence to show they meet the financial requirements for the visa category they have applied for.
"Where this evidence is not provided applications will be refused."
The Immigration Rules state that an applicant wishing to enter the UK as a visitor needs to provide evidence that they are a genuine visitor and have a genuine intention to leave the UK at the end of their proposed visit.
They must also be able to maintain and accommodate themselves during their visit without working or having recourse to public funds.
It is understood that the applications were initially refused because the required evidence was not submitted.
However, the applicants have since submitted evidence that shows they meet the rules and have now been asked to submit their passports so that visas can be issued.