Non-issuance of visas for Indian priests closes 50 out of 500 temples in Britain

There is growing resentment among Hindus living in the UK against Indian-origin Prime Minister Rishi Sunak

London, UK – In the United Kingdom, Indian-origin Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s Government, has faced a lot of criticism for not granting visas to the Indian priests. Consequently, around 50 out of 500 temples in Britain have been forced to close, leading to disruptions in various religious activities. This has caused dissatisfaction among the two million Indian Hindus residing in the country. The daily religious rituals, marriages, and other ceremonies within the Hindu community are affected due to the unavailability of priests, raising concerns among the Hindu population. Despite expectations that Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, as a fellow Hindu, would address these issues, the Government has yet to expedite the visa issuance process. Sunil Sharma, an assistant priest at the Laxminarayan Temple in Birmingham, expressed disappointment, stating, “Being a Hindu, we expected that Prime Minister Rishi Sunak would understand our problems; however, the Government has so far failed to do so.”

Temples closed due to non-issuance of visas

1. Shree Laxmi Narayan Mandir, Birmingham

2. Shri Ram Mandir, Birmingham

3. Shreeji Dham Haveli, Leicester

Demand to extend the duration for ‘Tier-5’ Religious Visa

The ‘Tier-5’ religious visa, designated for Indian priests in the UK, is currently issued temporarily. The temple committee initiates the visa application process for a new priest six months before the expiration of the current visa period. However, there is a prevalent issue of disapproval in most cases. In response to this challenge, there is a growing demand among Indians for an extension of the ‘Tier-5’ religious visa duration from 2 to 3 years.

Editorial Perspective

The British Government has an individual of Indian-origin Rishi Sunak as its Prime Minister. Hence it is not expected that the temples in Britain will shut down because of non-issuance of visas to the Hindu priests.