Palestinian farmers refused visas to visit Manchester for Fairtrade Fortnight
Article published: Wednesday, February 24th 2010
In a move which directly contradicts Gordon Brown’s support for Palestinian olive oil gaining Fairtrade accreditation in 2009, the UK Border Agency has refused visas to three Palestinian farmers scheduled to visit the UK during Fairtrade Fortnight 2010. Yet others already legally in the country have resolved to continue.
Fairtrade Fortnight is a time intended to build awareness of, and links with, producers in the global south. But despite lobbying by the Department for International Development on the behalf of the Palestinian producers, and the support of major international organisations such as Oxfam, the UK Border Agency has denied three people visas during this key promotional time. As a result the organisations responsible for the scheduling have had to rearrange the events making best use of the people present – and the visas which were granted.
Jamil Hijazin from Bethlehem University’s Fairtrade Development Centre and Mahmoud al Qadi from the East Bani Zeid Co-operative will be speaking at the Friends Meeting House, Manchester, on 25 February 2010 at 7pm.
The event will be hosted by Manchester-based social enterprise Olive Co-operative. According to director Leonie Nimmo: “Over the past year it has become much more difficult to meet with Palestinians and learn about their lives since Israel began issuing West Bank-only and Israel-only visas in Summer 2009.”
Critics have said that the actions of the British state, in denying farmers the right to meet and greet their customers, are simply an extension of the Israeli policy of isolating Palestinians geographically and economically.
“Given these circumstances we would like to give the farmers that are able to visit Manchester the warmest welcome possible,” said Ms Nimmo.
The growth in markets for Fairtrade Palestinian produce in the UK has demonstrated solidarity with the Palestinian people, while in Palestine, producers have not felt the economic impacts.
“Because of Fairtrade we are thinking collectively in this co-operative. We’re not just developing ourselves, we’re developing a community,” said Mahmoud al Qadi, a farmer from East Beni Zeid.
More: Manchester, News
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