A petition lobbying the Prime Minister to overturn a visa ban for grieving relatives of a dead girl because they’re TOO POOR has gathered 75,000 signatures in just three days.
Andrea Gada was killed in a road accident last month, but her parents have had to postpone her funeral because the government twice denied their Zimbabwean relatives visas over fears they might not go home.
Her mum Charity, set up the online petition on change.org and managed to hit the target in just three days – averaging more than 2000 signatures an hour.
The Home Office denied Andrea’s grandparents, Stanley and Grace Bwanya, and aunt, Monalisa Faith Bwanya, because it believes there is a high risk they will abscond.
Conservative Eastbourne MP Stephen Lloyd will hand the petition to David Cameron on Wednesday.
Charity, of Eastbourne, East Sussex, said: “An unbearable time has been made even worse as the Home Office refused to give my only living relatives visas to attend the funeral.
“My family are street sellers from Zimbabwe. They pose no risk to the country, they simply want to support us and grieve the loss of our beautiful girl.
“My family have offered to do anything in order to be there, even if that means wearing electronic tags and reporting to the local police station.”
Andrea was hit by a car on December 16 and died in hospital the following day.
Mr Lloyd was told by the Home Office that it stood by the visa refusal because the family do not meet immigration rules requirements.
Charity added: “The Prime Minister and the Home Secretary, David Cameron and Theresa May have the power to reverse the decision, and allow our family to attend the funeral.
“Hopefully with enough public support we can convince the Home Office of how tragic and exceptional the circumstances are and get them to grant the visas.
“Losing a child is one of the hardest things a person can experience, and at this time myself and my husband are both longing for the support of our family.”
The local community raised £5,000 to cover the family’s travel costs after hearing about their plight.
