Vaz for right to appeal for visa for family visitors in UK

From H S Rao
London, May 12 (PTI) Leading NRI Labour MP Keith Vaz
has cautioned the British government against going ahead with
its leaked plans to do away with the right of appeal for
family visitor visas, saying such a move would affect millions
of families and Britain's relations with its partners abroad.
His comments came after a leaked Home Office document
showed plans to scrap the right of appeal for more than 80,000
relatives of British families who are refused visas to visit
them each year.
In a statement, Vaz, the Chairman of the Home Affairs
Select Committee, said: "Each year hundreds of relatives of
British South Asians are granted visas to celebrate weddings,
attend funerals, and visit their loved ones".
"Whilst I understand the Government intention to cut
immigration, a policy restricting the numbers of family
visitors would be unfounded. Family visit visas are only valid
for six months, after which the relative must return home and
36 per cent are granted on appeal," Vaz said.
The lawmaker called on the government to think
carefully before making a decision that affects millions of
families in the UK and Britain's relations with her partners
abroad and to allow the Home Affairs Select Committee the time
to consider this matter carefully.
More than 420,000 visa applications were made for
temporary visits by close relatives of British families in
2010 and more than 36 per cent of those who appealed were
subsequently granted visas.
Vaz said "the fact that 36 per cent of the decisions
are reversed on appeal would indicate that decision making
needs to be improved rather than the right of appeal removed".
He said the decision is especially worrying in light
of the report on the Pakistan visa section published by the
Independent Chief Inspector of the UK Border Agency last year
which heavily criticised decision making and highlighted that
in the third quarter of 2009-10, only 25 per cent of appeals
were dismissed.