Palestinian GAA club ask Government to help after children's visa applications refused

Young boys living in Ramallah in the West Bank training in hurling.

The organisers of a GAA club in the West Bank have said they are "deeply disappointed and shocked" by the decision from Irish immigration officials to deny visas for 47 Palestinian children and coaches set to tour Ireland next week.

GAA Palestine was due to arrive in Ireland on Friday week for a tour of the island, which included stops in Dublin, Tipperary and Cork.

However, those plans are now in doubt after the 47 applications were refused by the Irish Immigration Service on Wednesday morning.

These included 33 children, aged between nine and 16 years of age, who have been learning hurling since January of last year.

Letters sent by the Embassy of Ireland in the State of Israel to visa applicants said the application had been refused due to “insufficient documentation".

This claim is being disputed by GAA Palestine, however, which says the applicants had "fulfilled all requested requirements and provided all necessary documentation as per the application process".

The GAA statement added: "We understand from letters sent by the Irish Embassy in Israel that the reason cited was a lack of detailed itineraries and financial arrangements — information that had been provided with the application.

"In fact, GAA Palestine was under the impression that all necessary documentation and information had been provided and met the requirements for visa approval as stated by the Irish Embassy in Israel."

Chairperson of GAA Palestine Steven Redmond said the club remained committed to bringing the children over for their tour.

"Seven days before these young boys and girls were meant to leave the West Bank, we are told that additional documentation is now required — documentation that was already provided or never previously requested or indicated as necessary," he said.

"We went as far as sending a volunteer to the West Bank to assist with additional documentation that was requested as part of our application.

"Nonetheless, GAA Palestine remains committed to collaborating closely with the Department of Justice to resolve this matter swiftly. We have a dedicated team of volunteers ready to respond and take immediate action.

We are fully prepared to see this process through. We kindly ask the Government to partner with us in making this happen.

Volunteers across Ireland are "just utterly and completely devastated after all the work and effort", Mr Redmond added.

"It’s heartbreaking to see such a promising cultural exchange fall apart at the very last moment.” 

The tour was scheduled to begin on July 18, with more than 100 Irish families volunteering to host the Palestinian group, and numerous GAA clubs fundraising to support the visit. 

The cancellation is a "significant setback for all involved," Mr Redmond said.

Speaking in the Dáíl, Tánaiste and Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Harris said the applications had been given "very careful consideration."

He said: "A visa officer has to be satisfied that children are travelling under the company of their parents or an appropriate guardian. 

"Additional documents, such as birth certs, consent letters are regularly requested to establish the relationship."

Mr Harris said an appeals process was under way in relation to the situation.

Taoiseach Micheál Martin said there have been over 700 visas issued to Palestinian civilians since the beginning of the war in Gaza.

“We have a very objective and fair visa system in the country, so we don’t regularly intervene in the operation of that,” Mr Martin said.

“The fundamental issue from what I can gather is the wellbeing of the children and the care of the children and ensuring proper guardianship and so on.

“Hopefully these issues can be resolved , but there is an appeals process there that I hope can be utilised.”