Staff who crossed out ‘Israel’ on baby girl’s birth certificate suspended by Home Office

JAMES CLEVERLY has said staff working with the Home Office have been suspended after the word Israel was crossed out of a baby girl’s certificate, as her father considers legal action.

Israel, a father of three from Edgware, north London, said that he and his wife Dorin felt like a “target” after discovering their baby Ronnie’s identification documents had been defaced.

Home Office staff are accused of scribbling out the word “Israel” from the six-month-old Jewish child’s birth certificate.

The incident, which Israel likened to something out of 1930s Nazi Germany, prompted the Home Secretary to call for an “urgent review” and said staff had been suspended.

On Wednesday, Mr Cleverly said in a tweet: “We apologise to the family for the offence caused and I have ordered an urgent review of a birth certificate being defaced.

“While we establish the facts, our commercial partner has suspended some staff.

“The matter is totally unacceptable. We will not tolerate anti-semitism.”

It has been claimed that the family were not informed personally about the suspensions, but had been told the Passport Office was “aware of the situation”.

Israel, a 32-year-old engineer who chose not to disclose his second name, told Mailonline: “I am worried because the Home Office said some staff had been suspended – not just one person – which for me raises concerns that these people working for the company were in a hostile environment.

“We are very happy that the Government took swift action but I hope whoever this public servant is is banned.

“I would like to sue them for the dam- age they have carried out to my daughter’s birth certificate, my property.”

Ronnie has now been issued a new birth certificate, Israel said.

The father said despite the Government’s prompt response, he still has concerns about his personal details being accessed by those who defaced the document.

“I am very glad the Government is doing its best and I really hope it’s not too late for something to happen. I am worried that they might have my details or social media,” he told Mailonline.

He added: “How are they accepting [staff] who do not meet the Government’s standards or values?

“The Government [needs] to make sure when they get people working in their system they should be vetted and everything should be checked to ensure they are not part of a hate gang or any sort of hateful organisation.”