Britain refuses grandparents of five-year-old Zimbabwean child permission to attend her funeral

Britain has refused the grandparents of five-year-old Andrea Gada, a Zimbabwean, permission to visit the country to attend her funeral because, it says, they will not return to Zimbabwe.

Andrea was killed in a traffic accident.

Her Member of Parliament Stephen Lloyd has now asked Prime Minister David Cameron to intervene.

Andrea’s school helped her parents to raise money to bring her grandparents and her aunt from Zimbabwe to attend her funeral but the Home Office has refused them entry saying they would abscond.

Lloyd told the House of Commons yesterday during question time for the Prime Minister that the Home Office had refused to budge although Andrea’s parents had made an undertaking that this would not happen and he himself had offered to act as a guarantor that the visiting relatives would return to Zimbabwe.

“The Home Office’s decision is cruel and unkind. Prime Minister, will you intervene?” Lloyd pleaded.

Cameron promised to look into the case.

Q&A:

Stephen Lloyd (Eastbourne, Liberal Democrat) – A few weeks ago, a tragic event occurred in my constituency when a five-year-old girl, Andrea Gada, was killed in a traffic accident. Since then, Eastbourne and her school, Shinewater primary, have rallied round to support her parents and the rest of her family. They have raised money to try to bring her grandparents and her aunt over from Zimbabwe to Eastbourne to join the family at the funeral, but the Home Office has refused those relatives entry, saying that they would abscond. The parents have given me an undertaking that this will not happen, and I have gone a step further and said that I will act as a guarantor that the relatives will return to Zimbabwe. The Home Office’s decision is cruel and unkind. Prime Minister, will you intervene?

David Cameron (The Prime Minister; Witney, Conservative)- It is absolutely horrific when children are killed in accidents like this, and we all know of individual cases in our own constituencies. It is heartbreaking when it happens. I will certainly look at the case—I was just discussing it with the Home Secretary—and make sure that the Home Office has a careful look to see what can be done.

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