Chernobyl's children refused entry to UK

Charities shocked as sick youngsters due to have respite holidays in Britain are told their visas are rejected the night before departure

Child victims of the fallout from the Chernobyl disaster are being denied charity holidays in Britain by immigration officials. Children looking forward to a month's recuperation away from nuclear contamination are having their holiday plans ruined by the UK Border Agency (UKBA), which denies them visas, often just the night before they are due to travel. Since the disaster in 1986, British charities have helped thousands of young people from affected areas in the Ukraine and Belarus to have holidays with British families. Now those charities say their work is becoming impossible as the UKBA rejects so many visas at the last minute... Independent