英国内政部正在阻止数十名妇女和儿童从加沙撤离到英国，尽管外交部已表示准备协助这一撤离行动[1]。内政部自去年9月起暂停了难民家庭团聚申请，当时曾承诺在春季发布新的限制性规则，但这一规则至今未出台[1]。加沙难民通过约旦撤离后，内政部拒绝提供撤离所需的后续旅行保证（OTA），并以法律挑战阻止这些家庭入境英国[1]。
内政部在7月15日与申请者的沟通中表示，尽管承认申请者在加沙面临的条件，但"这些条件本身不被视为符合相关指导下的令人信服的情况"[1]。内政部声称巴勒斯坦家庭成员可能构成安全威胁[1]。一名巴勒斯坦难民对此表示困惑："英国政府承诺帮助我的家人，但现在违反了诺言。他们说我的家人可能很危险，因为加沙有恐怖分子在活动。我不理解母亲和她的孩子如何会被视为安全威胁。"[1]
与英国的做法相反，比利时、法国、意大利和爱尔兰等欧洲国家正在便利此类撤离[1]。加沙的签证中心自2023年10月以来已关闭[1]。律师Sarah Crowe批评道："英国政府在承诺协助后放弃了困在加沙的脆弱家庭。当外交部准备并愿意撤离他们时，内政部却在尽一切努力阻止他们。"[1]
The UK Home Office is preventing dozens of women and children from evacuating from Gaza to Britain, despite the Foreign Office's stated willingness to facilitate their departure [1]. The Home Office suspended refugee family reunion applications in September of last year, pledging to introduce new restrictive rules in spring, but has not yet published them [1]. The department has refused to provide the necessary onward travel assurance (OTA) documents required for these families to enter the UK and has cited legal concerns while claiming Palestinian family members pose a security threat [1].
Families from Gaza have been evacuating through Jordan, but have encountered obstruction at the British border [1]. The visa centre in Gaza has been closed since October 2023, leaving affected families with no local means to process applications [1]. In the meantime, European countries including Belgium, France, Italy, and Ireland have been facilitating similar evacuations [1].
A Palestinian refugee expressed frustration with the situation, saying: "The British government promised to help my family, but now they have broken that promise. They say my family might be dangerous because there are terrorists in Gaza. I do not understand how my mother and her children could be seen as a security threat" [1].
Lawyer Sarah Crowe criticized the Home Office's position, stating: "The British government has abandoned vulnerable families stuck in Gaza after promising to help them. When the Foreign Office is ready and willing to evacuate them, the Home Office is doing everything it can to stop them" [1]. Home Office communications from 15 July indicated that while acknowledging conditions facing clients in Gaza, such circumstances alone were not considered compelling under relevant guidance [1].