Keir Starmer has been accused of banning entry of Palestinians seeking refuge to the UK [Getty]
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has been accused of banning entry to Gazans after branding a legal provision that allowed a Palestinian family to seek refuge in Britain as a “loophole”.
The family of six, including four children, had in January successfully appealed their case through the courts on the grounds of Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights, but the Starmer insisted the judge had made the “wrong decision”.
During Prime Minister’s Questions (PMQs) in Parliament last week, Starmer and opposition leader Kemi Badenoch claimed the family had applied to enter Britain using the Ukraine Family Scheme.
But campaigners from Gaza Families Reunited, who have been in close contact with the lawyers behind the case, denied the claims arguing that they had used the application as the only way to enter the UK immigration system.
Ghassan Ghaben, member of the campaign told The New Arab: “Keir Starmer’s comments were outrageous. The hypocrisy is just beyond imagination. If this shows anything, it shows the lack of response, the lack of a family reunification scheme for Palestinians.”
He insisted that the UK government has provided no viable resettlement routes for Palestinians fleeing Israel’s relentless bombardment despite Labour’s promises during the elections campaign last year.
“The government gives no regard to Palestinian lives – not in Palestine and not in the UK. They are not just not helping, but they are also attacking Palestinians in this way.”
Palestinians held in legal limboÂ
Ghassan explained there are severe barriers that prevent Palestinians from seeking asylum, even when they have close family in Britain.
He added: “Going through this court process is really complicated and really prolonged. Most families don’t even have the ability to find a lawyer and get legal representation because of the complications of this process.
“People who are stuck in Gaza can’t even give their biometrics—because the office in Gaza is closed.”
The UK has admitted more than 200,000 Ukrainians since 2022 under dedicated schemes.
Yet, when it comes to Palestinians, Ghassan said: “Suddenly it’s a problem. This is just another example of the dehumanization of Palestinians. To frame this as a loophole is outrageous. It’s not a loophole—it’s a basic human right.”
The campaigner’s comments follow a cross-party letter, signed by over 30 MPs and four peers, urging Starmer to show “basic humanity” towards Palestinians displaced by Israel’s military offensive.
The letter, led by fellow Labour MP Kim Johnson, questioned why Palestinians fleeing war are excluded from the same protection afforded to Ukrainians and Afghans.
“Basic humanity shouldn’t be selective,” the MPs wrote. “If Britain supports safe routes and medical evacuation for some, why should it be any different for families fleeing conflict in Gaza?”
The letter also demanded clarification on what “loophole” the government intended to close and why preventing Palestinian families from joining their relatives in Britain was being prioritised.
The PM’s intervention has also been criticised by the judiciary, with England’s most senior judge, Lady Chief Justice Dame Sue Carr, warning that his remarks undermined judicial independence. “It is for the government visibly to respect and protect the independence of the judiciary,” she said.
Ghaben and other campaigners warned that the UK’s refusal to establish safe pathways for Palestinians is a political choice, not a legal necessity. “The UK would have to breach international law to close this so-called loophole,” he said.
“What we are asking for is simple; a family reunification scheme for Palestinians, just like what was done for Ukraine. Those families want to go back home, but right now, that’s not possible. They have the right to heal, to feel safe, to be with their families.”
Despite these concerns, Downing Street refused to specify what Starmer referred to as the so-called “loophole”.
A No 10 spokesperson told TNA: “The Prime Minister has made clear that it is for Parliament to make the laws and for the government to decide policy.”
