Schoolchildren from Palestine who had been banned from visiting Bolton have been given a taste of peace and freedom in another country.

The youngsters from the Askar refugee camp near Nablus had been refused visas, meaning they could not visit the town as they have done several times before in recent years.

But now, organisers like Julia Simpkins have helped to organise a trip out to Jordan for them.

Ms Simpkins said: “We couldn’t get visas for them to come to this country and most of them had had visas ready to come already when Covid hit in 2020.

“It was like we’d let them down twice, so we thought it was important to at least do something for them and they don’t need visas to come across the border.”

The Bolton News: Julia Simpkins and other organisers with the youngsters, aged 11 to 17Julia Simpkins and other organisers with the youngsters, aged 11 to 17 (Image: Public)

She added: “I met them in Amaan, and they had a day there then we took them to Petra.

“From there we then took them to Aqaba, so they got to see the sea and then they flew back to Palestine so they still go to go on an aeroplane.”

The original plan had been for the youngsters, aged between 11 and 17, to come to Bolton where they would stay with families across the borough, speak in schools, mosques and churches and then go for a trip to the beach at Blackpool.

The Bolton News: The children had previously visited the beach at Blackpool and where meant to go againThe children had previously visited the beach at Blackpool and where meant to go again (Image: Public)

All this was meant to give them a break from the harsh conditions of the West Bank, where refugee camps like Askar are blighted by overcrowding and poor living conditions.

But this was made impossible after they were refused visas, according to Ms Simpkins because Home Office officials claimed they could not be sure they would return to Palestine at the end of their trip.

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But she says she was glad to still be able to help them have a trip away from the West Bank for a short while.

Ms Simpkins said: “It wasn’t the trip we wanted as the children didn’t get the opportunity to come to this could and talk to people about their daily lives and what its like in Palestine.

“But at least we were able to do something for them.”

She added: “A 17-year-old said to me when we were on a boat on the sea, ‘I have never seen the sea before, this is the most amazing day of my life.’”