Missing passport ruins family plans

NAPLES   Fla.   — Margaret Gourdet applied for a visa to travel to London in the first week of July.  She had been invited by the Salvation Army to attend its 150th anniversary in London where the organization was founded in 1865.

A music teacher for the Salvation Army in Naples, Stephen Hull, says he has taught the Gourdet family’s three children music for the last four years.  When the British Consulate-General didn’t approve Ms. Gourdet’s visa application he took note.  He showed us dated correspondence from July 10th where Gourdet formally withdrew her visa application.  Three weeks later she still has not had her passport returned by the British Consulate-General nor has she received any explanation.

 

Gourdet says she has lived in the US for fifteen years.  Her husband was deported back to Haiti for driving while on a suspended license.  The mother of three has been forced to make ends meet by working two jobs.  She typically works twelve hour days.

 

On Tuesday August 4th, Gourdet and her daughters had planned to take their once a year trip to see her husband, the children’s father.  Gourdet said she can only afford the two thousand dollars in airfare once a year.  She has already purchased the tickets.  But this year, with her passport in limbo at the British Consulate, there will be no reunion in Haiti with her husband. Both Gourdet and Salvation Army music teacher Stephen Hull said they called and emailed the British Consulate-General in Miami numerous times.  Hull said they’ve only experienced bureaucratic roadblocks, red tape, two dollar a minute calls to London, and endless frustration.

 

WINK News also attempted to call the British Consulate.  We called the media number for journalists on deadline and left multiple voice-mails but none of our calls were returned.  Also, the number dialed presents an option to patch over to the media spokesperson’s cellular phone.  We also tried that option.  Each time, we experienced error messages.