A Patagonia support group has been set up in Wales, following the refusal of the UK Boarder Agency to allow entry into Wales of two Patagonian students earlier this year.

The group are asking supporters and those who sympathise with the case of Evelyn Calcabrini to write to write a short message of support in Welsh, English or Spanish to Jonathan Edwards (contact details below) to help with her appeal procedure. Ms Calcabrini has appealed against the UK Home Office decision to allow her a six month visa to the UK so that she can study Welsh in Wales.

The group have told the Celtic League that they want to show the UK Border Agency that there is no shortage of people in Wales who will vouch for her. The support group also said to the League that writing letters of support by members of the public and interest groups was:

"...only necessary, because the Border Agency is acting in a way that defies common sense. We need to show them that there is support for Evelyn, otherwise we fear that there is little hope as she has no relatives in the UK to speak up on her behalf."

The other student, Shirley Edwards - who was also refused entry to the UK this year - was granted a six month visa this week after a long campaign by her family. Shirley Edwards has relatives in the UK and like Ms Calcabrini, also applied for a six month visa to further her studies. However, their cases have proceeded separately.

Ms Calcabrini, who is 20 years of age, has Welsh ancestry (her family moved to from Wales to Patagonia in 1865) and wanted to return to the country to continue her studies in the Welsh language. Despite having letters of support from family friends in Wales, Ms Calcabrini was detained by the UK Boarder Agency at Heathrow airport. After almost 5 hours of questioning Ms Calcabrini in poor Spanish, the Boarder Agency told her she had to catch the next available flight back to Buenos Aries. Confused and upset and having spent her life savings on the flight to the UK, the Welsh family who had initially vouched for Ms Calcabrini contacted the Welsh nationalist party, Plaid Cymru – the Party of Wales, who immediately took up her case with the Home Office.

In addition to asking for people to write letters of support, the Patagonia support group is also asking if people want to contribute money to go towards paying for Ms Calcabrini expenses to send a cheque made payable to "Capel Rehoboth-Cronfa Patagonia" to: 7, Nant Ffynnon, Nant Peris, Gwynedd, LL55 4UG

Letters of support:

Jonathan Edwards: "Cilgwyn", 17, Parc y Ffynnon, CAERFYRDDIN. SA31 1DS.

email:- jgme [at] ...

Related article on Celtic News at:

(voir le site)

J B Moffatt Director of Information Celtic League

23/09/09

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