Keynsham-Chipata South  Parish Link News        29.01.2025

You may have already heard on the grapevine that teachers Susan and Febby from Chipata Parish School, Zambia have had their travel visas declined for the second time by the Home Office. They were due to be with us in Keynsham for a month in April/early May, including a two-week programme at their linked schools, St John’s and Two Rivers school, postponed from last year.

We are all shocked, the Diocese is dismayed, and our Chipata friends are devastated. Between us, we had all done everything in our power to ensure all the visa requirements were met. The main reason given by the UK Home Office agents in Pretoria is that, although everything has been paid for by Keynsham Parish, the teachers don’t have sufficient personal assets to convince the authorities that it’s a genuine visit, they will be returning to Zambia, and not looking for work in Britain. These adjudications are final with no right of appeal. (Ironically UK nationals don’t need a visa to visit Zambia.) It appears our Zambian friends are being unfairly penalised simply for being poor.

We’ve discussed this with Fr Benard Phiri (parish priest Chipata South) and Annabel Capel (B&W Diocesan Zambia Link Coordinator) and it’s clear this isn’t an isolated case, but a (hopefully unintended) result of the UK Government’s much stricter rules on immigration.

Therefore, on the group’s behalf, Rachel has written to our MP Dan Norris asking him to press for

       1. an urgent review of Febby and Susan’s cases in the hope that their visit this    April may still happen.

       2. In the longer term, a review of the way that such visitor visa applications are handled currently in what seems an arbitrary and unfair manner.

WHAT CAN YOU DO?

Please PRAY for:

·         Teachers Febby and Susan, in their confusion and disappointment and for Fr Benard as he supports them.

·         For the Keynsham Link Schools, (St John’s and Two Rivers) and for Mrs Sam Bruton, Ms Aimee Appleton and Mrs Claire Formby of the School Link Team as they consider how the school link can still go forward.

·         For Dan Norris MP and a quick and effective response to the letter.

Thank you from all the Keynsham ZAG team (Zambia Action Group),

Rachel Shaw (Parish Link co-ordinator), Sue Sprague, Pip Lovell, Elhana Derrick, Wendy Harwood, Hillary Flynn, Claire Lowe, Gillian Watkins, Paul Truman.

Claire Formby (link schools coordinator)

Contact Rachel (rachrishaw@gmail.com) to join the Keynsham Chipata Friendship Whatsapp group (sharing pictures, news and prayer with our Chipata friends) or to be on the Parish Link Pray-ers Mailing List, for regular Zambia email updates.