The United Kingdom is about to sign a secret deal with the Yemeni authority to give refugee status to Yemeni Jews, said the Independent British newspaper, this Wednesday.
“Britain is on the verge of signing a secret deal to allow a small number of Yemeni Jews facing severe persecution in their home country to move to the UK,” said the Independent. This agreement has come after months of negotiation between the foreign office and the Yemeni authorities.
The Yemeni authorities denied the existence of such an agreement, and assured that this news regarding this secret agreement was baseless. The statement by Yemeni officials assured that Jews in Yemen are Yemeni citizens, with rights as any other Yemeni citizen.
The British Embassy in Sana’a refused to confirm any deal, stating that rules governing general elections forbade them from discussion about any new policies until after May 6th. Chantel Mortimer, the second secretary, and political, press and projects officer, assured that the news regarding the agreement is baseless. “Only certain individuals can be transported to the UK, and it is case by case, and the visa is only a visiting visa, not for seeking asylum,” said Mortimer. She also mentioned that the UK is busy with the election. Mortimer also explained that such an agreement is not within the powers of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office to make.
The Jewish community in Yemen denied this report. Rabbi Yahya Yousef of Al-Salem Jews temporarily residing in the Tourism Complex in Sana’a, assured that they have never heard of this agreement, and even if it existed, they do not intend to leave Yemen. Yousef mentioned that there are some who might have relatives in UK, and that they go there to visit. According to Yousef, President Ali Abdullah Saleh is concerned about all citizens, no matter what they believe, whether they are Jews or Muslims.
Abraham Yahya, a Jewish man from Raidah said he does not know anything about such an agreement, but he said that some Jews want to travel to Sana’a, due to the hard economic situations in Raidah. He also mentioned that some people have already traveled to the UK and the USA.
According to the Independent, an estimated 20 or 30 families living in the northern town of Raidah already have relatives living in the UK.
yobserver.com
