Key facts
- Over 85 British MPs have urged Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood to allow evacuations from Gaza.
- Families who applied for refugee family reunion in the UK before a suspension are reportedly blocked from entering.
- The MPs' letter states that bureaucracy is preventing humanitarian efforts and family reunification.
- The government's medical evacuation scheme for children from Gaza has not yet been fully met.
- The letter calls for the reinstatement of the family reunification process for Palestinians.
More than 85 British MPs have written to Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood to express concern over reports that the government is blocking the evacuation of women and children from Gaza. The letter, initiated by Labour MP Kim Johnson, highlights that families who had applied to join immediate relatives in Britain before a suspension of refugee family reunion applications are now being prevented from doing so.
The MPs argue that family reunification should not be used as a political bargaining chip and that bureaucratic obstruction is hindering humanitarian efforts. They also point out that the government's commitment to evacuate 300 children needing medical care from Gaza to the UK remains unmet, citing the cases of two children who met former Prime Minister Keir Starmer last December with promises of reunion.
The letter urges Mahmood to reinstate the family reunification process for Palestinians and to ensure that policies towards them are consistent with those for refugees from other countries. This comes amid broader political discussions regarding the UK's response to the conflict in Gaza, with one politician having previously apologised for the party's initial response.