Chernobyl children welcome once again

Children affected by the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear disaster can return to Oldham — after Oldham East and Saddleworth MP Phil Woolas confirmed a row with Belarus had been resolved.

The immigration minister said the eight-month ban was lifted after talks between the two countries.

Children from Belarus, aged between nine and 12, have been coming to Oldham since 1993 as part of the Chernobyl Children’s Lifeline charity.

Mr Woolas said: “Due to Oldham’s involvement, I was particularly keen that this should happen, and our ambassador has done a great job.

“We’re pleased we have been able to reach an agreement with Belarus that allows these visits to resume, and remain in place for at least the next five years.”

Belorussian president Alexander Lukashenko stopped all foreign trips after a 16-year-old girl who visited California refused to return home.

He banned visits to all countries involved in the scheme, including the UK, the Republic of Ireland, the US, Germany, France, Italy and Switzerland.

Some 70 per cent of the fall-out from the 1986 Chernobyl disaster fell on Belarus, and, as a consequence, an estimated 1.5 million children are now at high risk of developing cancers.

According to the charity, a four-week trip to the UK increases a child’s life expectancy by around two years, as the fresh air and uncontaminated food and water boosts their immune systems.