It is with great disappointment that I inform all of you that I have lost the battle with the Italian immigration system. As you may know this process started in May of 2010 when I began my hunt to obtain necessary documents for my husband to join me here while I attended school. In November I was informed that due to discriminatory practices on part of the staff at the Cape Town embassy that Gcinisizwe's tourist visa was declined on the basis that he is poor. Sadly being poor is not something he can help being that he grew up under the oppressive and damaging regime of Apartheid in which the black majority had their rights stripped away and were forced to live a life without dignity.
In November I launched an appeal and in January I was granted an immigration lawyer, free of charge because the appeals office could see that we had a strong case, but that we were facing discrimination at the hands of the embassy in South Africa. After many many many months and a lot of stress and frustration our case has been delayed yet again with the Immigration office now requesting even further documentation. I can tell you that they already have a huge stack of documentation which more than convinces anyone that Gcinisizwe is of no risk to Italy and quite frankly this is a lot of silliness for something as harmless as a 90 day tourist visa. We were asked to submit the additional documentation at the next available court hearing which is on June 21st. As you also know I leave the country after July 31st so there is no point in proceeding further with this.
In November I launched an appeal and in January I was granted an immigration lawyer, free of charge because the appeals office could see that we had a strong case, but that we were facing discrimination at the hands of the embassy in South Africa. After many many many months and a lot of stress and frustration our case has been delayed yet again with the Immigration office now requesting even further documentation. I can tell you that they already have a huge stack of documentation which more than convinces anyone that Gcinisizwe is of no risk to Italy and quite frankly this is a lot of silliness for something as harmless as a 90 day tourist visa. We were asked to submit the additional documentation at the next available court hearing which is on June 21st. As you also know I leave the country after July 31st so there is no point in proceeding further with this.I grew up in a world where everyone was equal, my family was blind to color and where a person came from or the color of their skin was as important to my family as what their eye color was. It was only when I married a man from Sub-Saharan Africa that I truly began to understand the vast discrimination facing the people of Africa (and others). I can see with my own eyes the unequal nature of this world and the more I am faced with adversity the more fire I feel inside to fight against it.
I want you to know that although I am greatly disappointed in this decision and that yet again my own parents cannot meet my husband due to travel visas. Please don't worry, I am ok because deep down inside I knew that this would be the outcome. But at least I can say that I did everything in my power to fight the system.
All the best,
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