MOHAMMED is off to sunny Spain - it’s official.
The 12-year-old Syrian refugee, now making his home in Scotland, looked set to miss out on a dream holiday to Majorca with his schoolmates from Edinburgh because of Whitehall red tape.
Canal View Primary in Wester Hailes won a top prize in a UK-wide competition to produce a promotional piece for Sol Katmandu Park and Resort.
But because of his refugee status, the Home Office said that it would take up to three months to process Mohammed’s travel documents. But the trip is next month.
Local MP, Joanna Cherry, was so moved by Mohammed’s plight she raised it with Theresa May at this week’s Prime Minister’s Questions when the PM made clear her Cabinet colleague, Amber Rudd, the Home Secretary, would look into the matter.
Her response prompted a loud cry of “Good!” from the Speaker John Bercow.
The intervention by the SNP MP has worked as the UK Government has confirmed it will “pull out all the stops” to process the schoolboy’s papers in good time for the trip to Spain.
Ms Cherry, who represents Edinburgh South West, said: “I was delighted that following my request to the Prime Minister yesterday, I was able to tell the school that Mohammed will get his documents on time.
“I hear that Mohammed and the rest of the class were passed the news first thing this morning to lots of cheers of delight and a few tears of joy.
“A senior caseworker at the Home Office has now received Mohammed’s application and everything is in hand to get him his travel documents. I hope Mohammed and the rest of the class have a great trip,” she added.
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