U.S. Denies Visa to Indian Orphans

By Binu Paul, SiliconIndia   |   Thursday, 24 November 2011, 04:05 IST   |    12 Comments
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The embassy says the selected leader and the kids are considered a flight risk and because they are without family ties, they will not come back. The biased commission also fears that they would be adopted. “This "feeling" has no foundation in fact. The other countries from the World Orphan Choir and Matsiko Children’s Choir including Liberia, Peru and Uganda have all met with approved and currently in the U.S., this is only India’s children,” said a statement from the Udayan Care. “There was no written denial of visa. However, at the interview for the visa, we were told that visa cannot be granted as "children do not have strong ties in India," said Reena.

U.S.-based NGO, International Children’s Network that invited the Indian children have a solid documented history of two prior successful choirs.  The denial of visa by the U.S. embassy is contradictory to the facts and odd at best considering the fact that every previous choir has returned back to the home nations safely and moreover, some of these children from India and the selected leader, Pinki Biswas  have travelled outside the U.S. and returned in the past.

 “We have always appreciated and even welcomed the US Embassy’s voice in trying to prevent child trafficking. However, this unexplainable ruling to deny the 7 orphaned children from India and their leader the chance to help children by coming to the USA with the choir against the advice and research of USA’s Department of Homeland Security and the support of US Congressman, US Senator’s, Schools and citizens is actually unconscionable." Heather Mehra-Pedersen states.

“These children all come from difficult circumstances of losing their families or facing abuse and neglect.  With both countries behind the approval and full on documented support and proven successful history, what could make a decision like this? It’s absolutely an injustice! Udayan Care is constantly telling their children that although they have no parents, they are as valuable to society as those with parents. The U.S. Embassy Immigration Department has negated this fact by denying them visa simply because they are orphans,” said Kiran Modi, Udayan Care Founder and legal custodian of the 7 selected children.