Organisers of GAA tour for Palestinians accuse Department of 'unfair treatment' amid visa block
were refused visas
.
A trip planned by the group was due to begin on 18 July, and would have involved friendly hurling games between the Palestinians and clubs in different counties.
A total of 152 families in Ireland had signed up to host the group during their travels.
However, last week Irish immigration officials in Ireland's embassy in Tel Aviv refused the childrens' visas on the grounds of 'insufficient documentation'.
Taoiseach Micheál Martin said
he hoped the issue would be resolved
, but GAA Palestine have now said that the Department of Justice's promises to engage with the group have proven hollow.
'Today, the GAA Palestine Executive travelled to Dublin to seek clarity and resolution. We met with a secretary from the Department of Justice who initially assured us that a senior officer would meet with us this afternoon,' a spokesperson said in a statement.
'However, at 4:38 pm, we received an email dismissing our concerns and directing us to an appeals process. This process, we are told, will take an indefinite amount of time and effectively prevent the team from traveling on 18 July.'
The Department said that it has yet to receive an appeal, but that any appeal lodged would be looked at immediately.
GAA Palestine maintains that it included all required documentation, including parental consent forms, in the visa applications.
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'We requested the Department of Justice to engage directly with us to verify and provide assurance that all documentation was in order, but our efforts were met with silence,' they said.
They said that the Department's 'reckless requirement' that flights be purchased before acquiring a visa has resulted in a loss of €38,000.
The itinerary had also included plans to bring the children to the beach, Dublin Zoo, and Croke Park, for an exclusive tour given by GAA President Jarlath Burns.
Stephen Redmond, chair of GAA Palestine, accused the government of treating Palestinian children differently to those from other countries.
'Other agencies have successfully brought children from various countries to Ireland on similar tours, and their travel has been permitted without issue,' he said.
'Yet, it appears that because these children are Palestinian, our government is refusing to allow them to come.'
In a statement to
The Journal
this evening, the Department of Justice said each visa is decided on its own merits, and that applicants can appeal a refusal.
'It is the case that the organisation of an event, no matter how good the intention, does not guarantee that a visa will be subsequently granted,' a spokesperson said.
'Applications made on behalf of minors who are not travelling in the company of their parents must be supported with evidence that appropriate child protection measures are in place during the visit.
'In all cases, evidence of financial means, employment or other ties that indicate a person intends to return home are important criteria.'
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