Germany refuses to grant humanitarian visas to treat children from Gaza

BERLIN, July 20 (YPA) – The German authorities have refused to allow 32 Palestinian children to receive treatment, fearing that their families would be linked to the Hamas movement, which has caused some to talk about the loss of humanitarian standards.

The German authorities refuse to grant the families of Palestinian children who suffered serious injuries as a result of the Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip, including amputation of limbs, burns, tissue damage, and rupture of the diaphragm and intestines, entry visas to Germany to receive the necessary treatment, despite the prior approval of 40 hospitals and medical centers in the country to cover the costs of their treatment and provide them with artificial limbs.

The idea began after doctors, along with their colleagues in relief organizations and other non-governmental organizations, such as the Refugee Organization in Cologne and the German Society for Plastic Surgery, sought to transfer 32 injured children to Germany. They collected donations to cover the costs of flights, visa applications, and hospital costs.

However, according to what was reported by the semi-official German television channel ARD, the campaign eventually stopped because the Ministries of the Interior and Foreign Affairs objected to the entry of accompanying adults, even one person with each child.

The two ministries clarify that access to Germany to treat children under the age of 12 is possible without companions, except for medical staff, and this is what the relevant relief organizations rejected.

Reports stated that, according to government departments, the failure to issue visas so far is related to security concerns, and the issue does not relate to the children themselves but rather to those accompanying them. There is a fear of the entry of escorts supporting Hamas.

YPA