By Baghdadhope
The reason for the refusal of the entry visas in Australia to many young Iraqis who had to travel to Sydney for the upcoming World Youth Day was explained by the Australian Emabssy in Amman which now seems to want to follow a "softer" line.
If threedays ago, in fact, the news spoke of an offer of 10 visas instead of the almost 170 required, today they are about 30 visas that could be granted in extremis. The chosen persons should be 10 priests, including Father Bashar Warda and Father Rayan P. Atto, who was the first to talk to Baghdadhope about his disappointment for a dreamed journey that was about to fade, Mgr. Mikha P. Maqdassi, the Chaldean bishop of Al Qosh, a nun, 8 persons designated to carry the Cross in Sydney and 10 young people active in parish youth groups. Regarding the visas denied to the other components of the "Iraq group for peace" the Australian embassy denies, albeit indirectly, what stated to Sir by Mgr. Jibrail Kassab, the Chaldean bishop of Australia and New Zealand according to whom behind the refusal would be "presumably political reasons." They would be, instead, essentially economic reasons. The Australian Embassy, in fact, while stating to have received assurances about the topic by the Vatican and WYD Australia, and while declaring to have been informed that the church would guarantee for the expenses for the applicants for visas, points out that in most requests received the documents pertaining to the employment and financial situation of the individuals are missing, and that those documents represent a sort of guarantee of their return to Iraq. Guarantee that, as clearly specified, does not affect the clergy.
The reason for the refusal of the entry visas in Australia to many young Iraqis who had to travel to Sydney for the upcoming World Youth Day was explained by the Australian Emabssy in Amman which now seems to want to follow a "softer" line.
If threedays ago, in fact, the news spoke of an offer of 10 visas instead of the almost 170 required, today they are about 30 visas that could be granted in extremis. The chosen persons should be 10 priests, including Father Bashar Warda and Father Rayan P. Atto, who was the first to talk to Baghdadhope about his disappointment for a dreamed journey that was about to fade, Mgr. Mikha P. Maqdassi, the Chaldean bishop of Al Qosh, a nun, 8 persons designated to carry the Cross in Sydney and 10 young people active in parish youth groups. Regarding the visas denied to the other components of the "Iraq group for peace" the Australian embassy denies, albeit indirectly, what stated to Sir by Mgr. Jibrail Kassab, the Chaldean bishop of Australia and New Zealand according to whom behind the refusal would be "presumably political reasons." They would be, instead, essentially economic reasons. The Australian Embassy, in fact, while stating to have received assurances about the topic by the Vatican and WYD Australia, and while declaring to have been informed that the church would guarantee for the expenses for the applicants for visas, points out that in most requests received the documents pertaining to the employment and financial situation of the individuals are missing, and that those documents represent a sort of guarantee of their return to Iraq. Guarantee that, as clearly specified, does not affect the clergy.
Despite this, albeit partially, positive development, Father Rayan P. Atto declared to Baghdadhope: "We are reassured by the fact that the Australian Embassy in Amman appointed a responsible to follow our specific case, but we are concerned about the times. To go to Amman to withdraw the visas, after the official confirmation, means losing at least three days and then having to organize quickly the journey to Australia. Unfortunately time elapses quickly, the WYD does not last forever, and for this reason we all pray because this confirmation arrives as soon as possible. Personally, apart from my religious duties, I live checking my e-mail."
The piece of news of this "concession", by the Australian Embassy was kept confidential since when it arrived, yesterday afternoon, but was confirmed today officially to MISNA by Mgr. Philip Najim, Chaldean Procurator to the Holy See: "This is a real scandal, a slap at young people who wanted to go to witness the faith and the joy of living of the church in Iraq despite sufferings… The dream of young Iraqis to participate in World Youth Day in Sydney shatters against the wall of mistrust and of bureaucracy after that the Australian embassy in Amman completely denied the visas in the beginning and then, today, granted 30 entry visas to the country… just 30 of which 12 are for religious and only 18 for young boys and girls, on a list of 170 people delivered since last year "
"What’s make the refusal bitter is the inference that young people could take advantage of this opportunity to remain as applicants for asylum, according to them there would be no sufficient guarantees that they will return home," said Monsignor Najim, after repeated contacts with the competent authorities. The representative of the Chaldean church reiterated that the objective of young Iraqis "is only to make their peers worldwide to know about the Iraqi church and then return to make that experience of sharing and faith grow in Iraq." Father Rayan Atto, parish priest of the church of Mar Qardagh in Erbil, the organizer of the journey, already said that it would not go without the young people, but now there is also the not easy choice about who will leave and who will remain."
The piece of news of this "concession", by the Australian Embassy was kept confidential since when it arrived, yesterday afternoon, but was confirmed today officially to MISNA by Mgr. Philip Najim, Chaldean Procurator to the Holy See: "This is a real scandal, a slap at young people who wanted to go to witness the faith and the joy of living of the church in Iraq despite sufferings… The dream of young Iraqis to participate in World Youth Day in Sydney shatters against the wall of mistrust and of bureaucracy after that the Australian embassy in Amman completely denied the visas in the beginning and then, today, granted 30 entry visas to the country… just 30 of which 12 are for religious and only 18 for young boys and girls, on a list of 170 people delivered since last year "
"What’s make the refusal bitter is the inference that young people could take advantage of this opportunity to remain as applicants for asylum, according to them there would be no sufficient guarantees that they will return home," said Monsignor Najim, after repeated contacts with the competent authorities. The representative of the Chaldean church reiterated that the objective of young Iraqis "is only to make their peers worldwide to know about the Iraqi church and then return to make that experience of sharing and faith grow in Iraq." Father Rayan Atto, parish priest of the church of Mar Qardagh in Erbil, the organizer of the journey, already said that it would not go without the young people, but now there is also the not easy choice about who will leave and who will remain."