AN award-winning poet has been forced to cancel an appearance at a Scottish festival after being denied a UK visa by the Home Office.

Soukaina Habiballah, from Casablanca in Morocco, had been due to speak at StAnza, an international poetry festival set to take place in St Andrews from March 8-10, but will not be allowed into the UK.

In a statement, the festival’s artistic director, Ryan Van Winkle, accused the Tory government of making an incomprehensible decision that was “insulting and humiliating”.

Van Winkle said: "As artistic director of StAnza, we are heartbroken for Soukaina Habiballah and deeply disappointed by the UK Government's refusal to grant her a visa.

“Countless resources went into programming her participation in our festival, as well as her first-ever tour of Scotland, working closely with our partners at Highlight Arts and senior figures in the British Council to secure her attendance. These capricious decisions by the Home Office not only undermine cross-cultural collaboration but also stifle the sharing of international art at a time when it's needed most.

“Soukaina submitted all the required paperwork, including around 35 official documents, and provided proof of her status as a leading Arabic poet with work commitments both in Morocco and internationally. Yet, the Home Office ignored her considerable talent and body of work and saw fit to consider her a potential illegal immigrant, despite having no evidence that this has ever been an issue.

“Their skepticism regarding why an artist of her caliber would leave her family, home, and networks to illegally move to the UK is beyond our comprehension. It's insulting and humiliating to see acclaimed artists like Soukaina face such obstacles.

“It's imperative for us, and other festivals dealing with similar decisions from the Home Office, that the UK Government rethinks its visa policies to ensure the vibrancy of our cultural sector and the value international artists bring to local audiences who otherwise would not encounter their vital work.”

The Home Office has been approached for comment.

Habiballah has authored poetry collections including A Quarter Century of Sight (2014) and There’s No Need for You (2015), and a novel called The Barracks. She has won the Nadeen Chamss Prize as well as other accolades, according to a biography on the Moroccan World Storytelling Cafe festival website.

The festival said she would join a discussion on "Resilient Voices: Celebrating Middle Eastern Women in the Arts" virtually given the UK Government's decision.

The news comes one week after US rapper Ja Rule, who had been due to play Glasgow’s Hydro as part of a UK tour, was denied entry by the Home Office.

He wrote on social media: “I’m so devastated. I can’t believe the UK won’t let me in. I’ve spent a half million dollars in production of my own money to put this tour together only to be denied entry DAYS before my shows.”