UKBA Refuses Visa to Iranian World Snooker Champion


UK refuses visa to Iran’s snooker world champion The Secretary of State for the Home Department in Britain is preventing Hossein Vafaee, the current IBSF World Snooker Championship title-holder, from taking part in a key international tournament because he is Iranian. Hossein Vafaee Hossein Vafaee from Iran cruised to championship in the 2011 IBSF event, also known as the World Amateur Snooker Championship, after defeating Welsh star Lee Walker in December last year. The Iranian Billiards Panel stated that Mr Vafaee is being denied a British visa to take part in a snooker world league held in London because of the “political problems” between Iran and Britain. “The London world league, where the most professional billiard-players of the world compete every two months has invited Vafaee to take part in the contests since several months ago, but he has been unable to participate in the tournament due to visa problems,” Mohammad Ali Chaboki, head of Khuzestan Bowling and Billiard Panel stated. The IBSF World Snooker Championship, held from November 27 to December 3 in India last year, brought together 85 snooker players from around the globe. Vafaee’s top place in the contests gave him a ticket for the 2012 professional tour. Britain’s political visa-denials also hit Iranian athletes back in the summer when Iran’s Olympian athletes applied for British visas to take part in the 2012 Olympic Games in London. Since the closure of the British Embassy in Iran in November 2011, Iranians are now required to apply for British visas at the British Embassy in the United Arab Emirates. Various rules have been introduced to make these visa applications as ‘uninviting’ as possible. Applicants are required to travel to the UAE, submit their passports and finance their stay in the UAE for weeks whilst their visa applications are considered. Many of the visa applications are then refused on weak grounds, often citing the International financial sanctions against Iran as a reason. There is widespread citicism that the process is highly politicised and often fails to take account of any of the humanitarian or legitimate reasons that people have to want to travel to the UK.

UK refuses visa to Iran’s snooker world champion

The Secretary of State for the Home Department in Britain is preventing Hossein Vafaee, the current IBSF World Snooker Championship title-holder, from taking part in a key international tournament because he is Iranian.

Hossein Vafaee

Hossein Vafaee from Iran cruised to championship in the 2011 IBSF event, also known as the World Amateur Snooker Championship, after defeating Welsh star Lee Walker in December last year.

The Iranian Billiards Panel stated that Mr Vafaee is being denied a British visa to take part in a snooker world league held in London because of the “political problems” between Iran and Britain.

“The London world league, where the most professional billiard-players of the world compete every two months has invited Vafaee to take part in the contests since several months ago, but he has been unable to participate in the tournament due to visa problems,” Mohammad Ali Chaboki, head of Khuzestan Bowling and Billiard Panel stated.

The IBSF World Snooker Championship, held from November 27 to December 3 in India last year, brought together 85 snooker players from around the globe. Vafaee’s top place in the contests gave him a ticket for the 2012 professional tour.

Britain’s political visa-denials also hit Iranian athletes back in the summer when Iran’s Olympian athletes applied for British visas to take part in the 2012 Olympic Games in London.

Since the closure of the British Embassy in Iran in November 2011, Iranians are now required to apply for British visas at the British Embassy in the United Arab Emirates. Various rules have been introduced to make these visa applications as ‘uninviting’ as possible. Applicants are required to travel to the UAE, submit their passports and finance their stay in the UAE for weeks whilst their visa applications are considered. Many of the visa applications are then refused on weak grounds, often citing the International financial sanctions against Iran as a reason. There is widespread citicism that the process is highly politicised and often fails to take account of any of the humanitarian or legitimate reasons that people have to want to travel to the UK.

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UK refuses visa to Iran’s snooker world champion

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