Home Office blocking evacuation of dozens of women and children from Gaza

What Happened

The UK Home Office is blocking the evacuation of dozens of women and children from Gaza by withholding onward travel assurances (OTAs), despite the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) stating it is ready to facilitate their departure. Family reunion applications for Palestinians have been suspended since September, with a promised new policy yet to materialize. Those who applied before the suspension are being prevented from traveling to the UK: while the FCDO can evacuate them via Jordan, the Home Office refuses to issue OTAs, deploying senior barristers in legal challenges. The Home Office justifies the block by claiming biometrics must be obtained, even though the UK visa centre in Gaza has been closed since October 2023. It has also cited security risks for applicants, including small children, because they come from a “territory where terrorists operate,” despite some UK-based refugees having been granted protection after persecution by Hamas. Specific cases include Bassem Abudagga, a PhD student separated from his family, who was told a decision on his OTA will not come until December; and another refugee whose wife, three children (aged 9–14), and an orphaned nephew remain in Gaza amid bombing and insanitary conditions. Other European countries, including Belgium, France, Italy, and Ireland, are carrying out similar evacuations. Lawyers from Leigh Day, representing the families, accuse the Home Office of effectively abandoning vulnerable people after promising assistance. A Home Office spokesperson stated that under asylum reforms, family reunion is no longer automatic and will meet stricter criteria.

Key Actors

Why It Matters

The stand-off between the Home Office and Foreign Office exposes a policy rift within the UK government over Gaza family reunification, with implications for the UK’s international humanitarian commitments. The Home Office’s suspension and case-by-case blocking—combined with its use of security arguments against young children—raise concerns about discriminatory treatment of Palestinians compared to other refugee groups. As other European nations facilitate evacuations, the UK’s stance may invite diplomatic criticism and legal challenges. The delays also prolong the suffering of individuals already recognized as refugees, undermining the credibility of the UK’s protection framework.

Watch For

The Home Office’s December deadline for a decision in Bassem Abudagga’s case; any announcement of the new, stricter family reunion rules expected this spring; the outcome of legal battles over the withheld OTAs; and whether other European countries’ continued evacuations will increase pressure on the UK to reverse its position.