Key facts
- A UK court has quashed a Home Office decision that blocked mothers and children in Gaza from joining their families in the UK.
- The Home Office's policy required biometric checks, which are impossible to obtain in Gaza due to the closure of the visa application center since October 2023.
- The court found the Home Secretary acted unlawfully in applying the policy to two families with young children.
- An estimated 250-300 people in Gaza are similarly stranded, seeking to reunite with immediate family members in the UK.
- The judge, Fiona Lindsley, stated that the best interests of the children should be the primary consideration.
- The Home Office spokesperson said biometrics are a core part of the UK's immigration system for security checks.
A UK court has quashed a Home Office decision that prevented mothers and children in Gaza from joining their families in the UK, ruling that the policy was applied unlawfully. The decision impacts an estimated 250-300 individuals in Gaza who are unable to complete mandatory biometric checks due to the closure of the visa application center since October 2023.
Families seeking to reunite with loved ones in the UK typically must undergo biometric screening. However, the visa application center in Gaza has been inaccessible since the conflict escalated. While the government has a policy for "unsafe journeys" offering some flexibility, it has been strictly applied to families in Gaza. Judge Fiona Lindsley found that the Home Secretary's decision to block two families, comprising young mothers with five children aged seven and under, was unlawful.
These families are reportedly living in dire conditions in Gaza, facing insufficient food, lack of clean water, and unsanitary environments, while their husbands, who have been granted refugee status in the UK, fear they may never see their children again. The judge emphasized that the best interests of the children, who are described as afraid, undernourished, and suffering from diseases, should be paramount.
The Home Office maintains that biometrics are essential for security checks and plans to appeal the ruling. The Foreign Office has proposed evacuating some families to Jordan to enable them to complete the required biometric data collection. Meanwhile, the broader refugee family reunion scheme remains suspended, with new rules not expected until 2027, leaving thousands of potential applicants in limbo.