The Government has today announced an agreement with the Government of Belarus which has seen the resumption of visits for children affected by the Chernobyl incident to the United Kingdom on charity-sponsored respite visits.

The agreement will enable the highly worthwhile work by UK charities in this area to continue. In the years to come many more children will be able to visit the United Kingdom to receive the benefits of a temporary period of rest and recuperation.

Borders and Immigration Minister Phil Woolas said:

'The UK Government has always been a strong supporter of respite care visits by those children from Belarus affected by the Chernobyl incident.

'We're pleased we've 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.

'This agreement will enable UK charities to continue their worthwhile work, and for many more children to visit the UK for a temporary period of rest and recuperation.'

The agreement, which came into force on 22 May, allows for the immediate resumption of visits by Belarusian children under the age of 14. It will remain in force for the next five years and will be automatically extended by five year periods thereafter.

Chernobyl-affected children have been travelling on respite holidays to the west since the early 1990s on free visas (all visas were free at this time for ex-USSR countries). In 1995 charging for visas was introduced in the region, with an exemption for Belarusian children affected by the Chernobyl disaster.

Bringing the children to the United Kingdom for recuperative visits is a large scale charity activity (there are approximately 47 charities registered to undertake this activity).