Religious ministers face new visa requirements

Religious ministers face new visa requirements

Wednesday, 27, Aug 2008 05:47

Religious ministers visiting congregations in the UK will face new visa requirements under new Home Office measures.

Immigration groups and religious figures are said to be fuming at the proposals.

"The new laws to restrict ministers of religion coming here will affect every religion in the UK," said Liam Clifford of Globalvisas.com, an immigration consultancy.

"Maybe Catholics who disagree too loudly with abortion laws or Islamic preachers who oppose UK foreign policies could find their sponsors unable to invite them to the UK," he added.

"This would, of course, be a worrying curtailment of our right to worship and one everybody needs to question."

Religious minister currently need only a letter from the congregation they wish to visit, but the new regulations will require them to have a pre-approved government sponsor who has paid for their sponsorship licence.

"One Catholic priest summed it up when he said: 'We have one sponsor and one boss. He most certainly is not answerable to the Home Office,'" Mr Clifford continued.

The Home Office assured politics.co.uk it would not grant licences to groups based on their political or religious opinions.

"We will not refuse a sponsor licence to a bona fide religious organisation based on whether or not we agree with their views," a spokesperson said.

"However, at the same time, we have a duty to protect the public and, as under the current system, we will not allow extremists to enter the UK to preach hate.

"We want to realise the many benefits of migration – economic, social and cultural – and we want the UK to stay open and attractive for religious workers. But at the same time we are determined to deliver a system of border security which is among the most secure in the world," they added.

The Church of England refused to comment on the story but it told politics.co.uk it was discussing the issue with the government.