Ministry of Education forbids Chernobyl children to visit Switzerland
The Belarusian Ministry of Education has forbidden a trip of Chernobyl children to Switzerland at the last minute. The people responsible for the organization of the trip in Dobrysh have been reprimanded. Radio “Liberty” informs that officials considered the guarantee of the children’s return insufficient. A group of 10-year-old schoolchildren had to set off from Dobrush to a Swiss town Ilanz on May 6. They had to be accompanied by a primary school teacher and two interpreters. Switzerland donated money for the recreation programme: the country paid for bus trips from Homel Region to the canton of Graubünden and back, medical insurances, excursions in Switzerland and other things.
It is reported that the Belarusian authorities demanded that the government of the Swiss Confederation had to present written guarantees of the children’s return and to fulfil a number of other demands. According to Swiss diplomats, some of the demands, for example, a guaranteed refuse of asylum, contradicted the national human rights legislation.
It is reported that the Belarusian authorities demanded that the government of the Swiss Confederation had to present written guarantees of the children’s return and to fulfil a number of other demands. According to Swiss diplomats, some of the demands, for example, a guaranteed refuse of asylum, contradicted the national human rights legislation.
