UK government accused of separating children from parents in Gaza
The government has been accused of separating British children in Gaza from their mothers after it was revealed that citizens without passports had been left off its safe passage list.
The names of British citizens allowed to leave Gaza for Egypt via the Rafah crossing have been added to a list but, some have said their dependants have not been included by the Foreign Office.
The policy contrasts with the decisions made during the evacuation of Ukraine, when any family member of a British citizen would be provided with a visa, a group representing them said.
“We have been in touch with organisations and lawyers who work to support people who have a right to come to the UK through different visa schemes. They have been quite clear that British Palestinians are being treated very differently to people fleeing the Ukraine conflict,” said Louise Harkin of Support Families in Gaza.
“Gaza is currently the least safe place on the planet. Almost 10,000 people are confirmed dead, almost half of whom are children, yet the government now wants to separate British children from their mothers and families.
“We call upon the government to allow British citizens to bring their families with them.”
British nationals among the first to cross into Egypt described the Rafah crossing – the only route out of Gaza for foreign nationals and the sole entry point for incoming aid – as “absolute chaos” and said they had been “abandoned” by the government.
It is understood that hundreds of British nationals remain trapped in Gaza, among an estimated 7,000 foreign nationals who have been registered by embassies with the Egyptian authorities. One person facing the difficult prospect of leaving family members behind said those with Palestinian heritage were being treated like “second-class citizens”.
The person – who did not wish to be identified – told the PA news agency: “When we got the call that I and other family members had been added to the list, we found out that my dad’s wife is not on there. My dad has had to leave his wife and other family members behind so he can get my young brothers to safety.
“We know of at least one other family in this situation. It is heartbreaking. Nobody should have to make this kind of choice. The world has lost its humanity. It is even more difficult to understand when we know of somebody who lives in the US who has managed to get 19 family members evacuated even though not one of them has an American passport.
They added: “We know FCDO have made exemptions in the past for people from Ukraine, Afghanistan and Sudan, it just feels like those of us with Palestinian heritage are always treated like second-class citizens.”
British nationals on the list have faced difficulties crossing the border themselves in recent days, due to disagreements between Palestinian and Israeli authorities, it has been reported.
Zaynab Wandawi, a British national born in Salford, Greater Manchester, was turned away again at the Rafah border crossing on Saturday, her mother, Lalah Ali-Faten, told the PA news agency. She said she believed the Foreign Office was “not doing enough”, and added: “Just passing the list of names, I’m sorry, that doesn’t cut it as a government.”
In a statement, a Foreign Office spokesperson said: “This continues to be a complex and challenging situation and we are using all diplomatic channels to press for the crossing to reopen in coordination with our international partners. We remain in contact with British nationals in the region to provide them with the latest information.”
People who require a visa will need one in advance of travel to the UK, including dependants of British nationals, such as spouses, partners and children under 18, the government said.