Coolassprov MC
16-04-07, 19:30
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3388338,00.html
Israeli's Libyan wife denied entrance to Israel
Wife of Israeli citizen, who fled Libya and was granted refugee status in UK, refused access to Israel because she is considered citizen of enemy state
Moran Rada Published: 04.16.07, 00:57 / Israel News
The Libyan wife of an Israeli citizen has been denied entrance to Israel for the past two years, because the Interior Minister claims she is the citizen of an enemy state.
Shirin Sosi, a Libyan refugee living in England, met Mudar Atzi of the Israeli-Arab village of Bara, while the two were studying in London. Mudar and Shirin fell in love and married three years ago. Their first daughter was born about six months ago.
Shirin, who fled with her family to England in 1995, was recognized as a refugee by the British authorities and granted permanent residency status.
In October 2005, the couple began the process of obtaining an entrance permit to Israel for Shirin, but has been denied ever since.
"When this went on and was no longer a matter of two or three months but of years, I started getting angry," Mudar said. "It's not like I'm trying to do anything irregular, I'm an Israeli citizen and resident."
'Tearing the family apart'
In the meantime, Mudar was forced to return to Israel in order to help with the family business, while
his wife and baby daughter remain in England. This separation, he said, was tearing the family apart.
"My wife is angry, because like any other wife, she wants her husband beside her, and I want to be with her too… Whenever I visit them in England I see a different daughter than the one I saw in my previous visit. She's growing up without me being there," he explained.
According to the couple's attorney, Yasmin Keshet, the claim that Shirin represents a threat to the state's security is false. She said that a letter sent by the Prime Minister's Office to Atzi in February stated that a reevaluation of the request found that there were no security grounds to prevent the issuing of an entry permit to Shirin.
However, despite this letter, the Interior Ministry still refuses to approve the request.
"Ms. Shirin Sosi is a Libyan citizen who possesses a British passport. In light of her being the citizen of a state that requires a security clearance, the Ministry has sought the relevant authorizations from security officials," the Ministry said in a statement, adding that the couple would be informed once such authorizations are granted.
Israeli's Libyan wife denied entrance to Israel
Wife of Israeli citizen, who fled Libya and was granted refugee status in UK, refused access to Israel because she is considered citizen of enemy state
Moran Rada Published: 04.16.07, 00:57 / Israel News
The Libyan wife of an Israeli citizen has been denied entrance to Israel for the past two years, because the Interior Minister claims she is the citizen of an enemy state.
Shirin Sosi, a Libyan refugee living in England, met Mudar Atzi of the Israeli-Arab village of Bara, while the two were studying in London. Mudar and Shirin fell in love and married three years ago. Their first daughter was born about six months ago.
Shirin, who fled with her family to England in 1995, was recognized as a refugee by the British authorities and granted permanent residency status.
In October 2005, the couple began the process of obtaining an entrance permit to Israel for Shirin, but has been denied ever since.
"When this went on and was no longer a matter of two or three months but of years, I started getting angry," Mudar said. "It's not like I'm trying to do anything irregular, I'm an Israeli citizen and resident."
'Tearing the family apart'
In the meantime, Mudar was forced to return to Israel in order to help with the family business, while
his wife and baby daughter remain in England. This separation, he said, was tearing the family apart.
"My wife is angry, because like any other wife, she wants her husband beside her, and I want to be with her too… Whenever I visit them in England I see a different daughter than the one I saw in my previous visit. She's growing up without me being there," he explained.
According to the couple's attorney, Yasmin Keshet, the claim that Shirin represents a threat to the state's security is false. She said that a letter sent by the Prime Minister's Office to Atzi in February stated that a reevaluation of the request found that there were no security grounds to prevent the issuing of an entry permit to Shirin.
However, despite this letter, the Interior Ministry still refuses to approve the request.
"Ms. Shirin Sosi is a Libyan citizen who possesses a British passport. In light of her being the citizen of a state that requires a security clearance, the Ministry has sought the relevant authorizations from security officials," the Ministry said in a statement, adding that the couple would be informed once such authorizations are granted.