Home Office overturns visa refusal for Afghan Youth Orchestra

The Home Office has overturned its decision to reject touring visa applications from the Afghan Youth Orchestra after widespread criticism.

The orchestra of exiled musicians, which has 47 members aged between 14 and 22, are scheduled to play four dates across England in London, Birmingham, Manchester and Liverpool this month.

According to the orchestra’s director, Dr Ahmad Sarmast, their visa application was rejected by the Home Office as officials were unconvinced by information provided about the status of the students.

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News of the visa refusal was met with outrage online, alongside calls for visas to be granted by politicians and music institutions.

“The orchestra is a beacon of hope and free creative expression: its brave young people have been forced to leave their homeland because of a repressive regime,” a statement from the Southbank Centre, which is hosting the ensemble’s London concert, said.

“This decision denies UK audiences the opportunity of being inspired by their brave work and they deserve the full support of the arts community as well as the UK government”.

A statement from the youth orchestra said the original decision was “not only dealt a significant blow to the young musicians' aspirations but also deprived these young musicians an opportunity to raise awareness through music about the gender apartheid against Afghan women and denial of cultural rights of the Afghan people by the Taliban”.

Under the Taliban's regime, playing and listening to music is heavily restricted. The Afghanistan National Institute of Music, which the youth orchestra belongs to, has had its campus in the Afghan capital of Kabul seized and its bank accounts frozen by the Taliban.

Now based in Portugal, where the orchestra members were granted asylum in December 2021 and now study and have immigration rights, the ensemble has recently played in Germany, Italy and Tajikistan, as well as at the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, Switzerland.

According to Sarmast, the Home Office’s rejection was the first time the orchestra had ever been denied a visa.

Decision overturned

The Home Office’s decision was overturned shortly after the rejection was covered by national news yesterday afternoon (4 March).

Following the u-turn, Diana Johnson, Chair of the Home Affairs Select Committee, wrote on X: “Excellent news and glad the (Home Office) have done the right thing. Thank you to everyone who made this happen”.

A spokesperson for the Home Office said that musicians and performers “are a valued and important part of UK culture”.

“Applications have to be considered on their individual merits in accordance with the immigration rules with the responsibility on applicants to demonstrate they meet these rules.”

The Home Office has been reported to now be working to ensure consent is obtained for minors to travel.

The orchestra’s first scheduled performance, at the Southbank Centre’s Queen Elizabeth Hall on Thursday (7 March), is expected to be rescheduled for a date next week.