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New visa requirements to hit religious ministers

27/08/2008

Religious minister who plan on coming to the UK to visit congregations are facing new visa requirements.

Immigration groups and religious figures are said to be fuming at the proposals.

"The new laws to restrict ministers of religion coming here will affect every religion in the UK," said Liam Clifford of Globalvisas.com, an immigration consultancy.

"Maybe Catholics who disagree too loudly with abortion laws or Islamic preachers who oppose UK foreign policies could find their sponsors unable to invite them to the UK," he added.

"This would, of course, be a worrying curtailment of our right to worship and one everybody needs to question."

Religious minister currently need only a letter from the congregation they wish to visit, but the new regulations will require them to have a pre-approved government sponsor who has paid for their sponsorship licence.

"One Catholic priest summed it up when he said: 'We have one sponsor and one boss. He most certainly is not answerable to the Home Office,'" Mr Clifford continued.