Protesters march during a pro-Palestinians demonstration to mark the first anniversary of the war on Gaza in Edinburgh, Scotland [GETTY]
The Scottish government is calling for a visa scheme for Palestinians fleeing Gaza that will enable them to reunite with loved ones in the UK.
In a letter to the UK minister for asylum and border security, Dame Angela Eagle Scottish equalities minister Kaukab Stewart called on the British government to deliver safe routes for Palestinians to escape Israel’s war on Gaza and reunite with their families already in Britain.
This would provide a “temporary sanctuary” until it is safe for Palestinians to return.
Advice from the Foreign Office says that there are currently no exit routes for foreign nationals to flee Gaza during Israel’s war, which has killed over 44,000 Palestinians since last year. The office is working with Israeli, Egyptian and Jordanian authorities to explore alternative routes.
“Existing routes for Palestinians in Gaza to join their loved ones in the UK are insufficient and failing,” the letter reads.
“Members of the campaign report that many Palestinian families – including those who would be eligible under existing routes – have not been able to access Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office assistance in seeking to exit Gaza.”
Stewart, writing on behalf of the Scottish government, also notes that the closure of the only Visa Application Centre in Gaza and the Home Office continues to require Palestinians to have their fingerprints taken for their visa applications, which they are unable to do.
While many have requested to defer the biometric requirement, it is their understanding that every request made since 7 October last year has been rejected.
“At least two Palestinians have died while waiting for the Home Office to decide on their applications,” Stewart said.
Stewart says the Scottish government supports the Gaza Families Reunited campaign, which calls for an urgent scheme to allow Palestinians fleeing Gaza to reunite with their loved ones in Britain.
The scheme is similar to the family visa scheme given to Ukrainians fleeing the war. Those granted permission could live, work, and study in the UK and access public funds for up to three years.
“Members of the campaign report that many Palestinian families – including those who would be eligible under existing routes – have not been able to access FCDO assistance in seeking to exit Gaza,” Stewart says.
“This has left Palestinians in the UK with no choice other than to pay or crowdfund for the high ‘coordination fees’ being charged by an Egyptian travel company to facilitate their loved ones’ exit from Gaza, so that they could enrol biometrics at a VAC in Egypt.”
Scotland’s then First Minister, Humza Yousaf, backed the scheme in March, and Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar did the same in September.
Stewart also noted how, since May, very few Palestinians have been able to leave Gaza since the Rafah crossing into Egypt closed, and the few that have been “trapped in limbo”, waiting for months without any support.
Since Israel bombarded Gaza, almost 90 percent of the population has been internally displaced at least once, according to the UN’s humanitarian agency. Nearly 110,000 people had left the Gaza Strip before the Rafah crossing closed.
