Dozens of Palestinian organizations in the UK have signed a letter to Home Secretary James Cleverly, calling for permits for temporary residence for Palestinians from the Gaza Strip who have relatives among British citizens, The Guardian reports.
The letter calls existing immigration routes "insufficient and not working." It also describes how a Gaza family scheme would "enable Palestinians in Gaza to reunite with their immediate and extended family members in the UK."
Representatives of nearly 60 charitable organizations and law firms have signed the letter, urging the establishment of a visa scheme similar to the one in place for Ukrainian citizens for Palestinians from the Gaza Strip with relatives in the UK.
The letter states that the current family reunion scheme for Palestinians is ineffective and inadequate for those in the Gaza Strip during times of conflict. The letter's authors propose a model "similar to the one for Ukrainians," which would allow Palestinians from Gaza to reunite with their close or distant relatives living in the UK.
The letter argues that the UK Home Office should establish a favorable family reunification procedure for Palestinians from the Gaza Strip "to protect human life and the right to family unity until it is safe for Palestinians to return".
Specifically, the letter notes that Palestinians entitled to invite their relatives from the Gaza Strip have been unable to apply for family reunions due to the UK Home Office's requirement for biometric data, including fingerprints. In some cases, the Home Office may accommodate and delay the collection of biometric data, but most such requests have been denied. Two people have died in the Gaza Strip while awaiting a decision from the British Home Office on their entry into the UK.
According to the article, hundreds of Palestinian families in the UK have raised tens of thousands of pounds to evacuate their relatives with the help of a private company in Egypt. A representative of the UK Home Office stated that the department is working around the clock to evacuate British citizens from the Gaza Strip, with consulate staff providing consular assistance in Cairo and at the Rafah border crossing. He emphasized that relatives of British citizens requiring a visa can apply for one.
