The Home Office is facing strong criticism for allegedly preventing the evacuation of numerous women and children from Gaza, even as the Foreign Office indicates it is prepared to assist in getting them out of the conflict-ridden territory. This situation has left many refugee families in limbo, despite having immediate family members already in the UK.
The controversy stems from a Home Office announcement last September that it was suspending refugee family reunion applications, with a promise of new, more stringent rules to be introduced in the spring. As of today, 27 July 2026, no such announcement has been made, and the application process remains suspended. While applications submitted before this suspension are still being processed, families in Gaza who applied to reunite with immediate family in the UK prior to the suspension are reportedly being blocked from joining their loved ones.
Both the Home Office and the Foreign Office are involved in evacuation efforts from Gaza, with families who have the right to leave currently being evacuated via Jordan. However, the Home Office is reportedly not providing the necessary onward travel assurance (OTA) for these families to enter the UK. Lawyers representing the stranded families claim the Home Office is deploying senior barristers to challenge these cases, sometimes several to a single case, and appears to be taking a more severe approach with Palestinian families compared to refugees from other nations seeking family reunification in the UK.
Concerns have also been raised regarding the Home Office's insistence on obtaining biometrics before families travel to Jordan, despite the visa centre in Gaza having been closed since October 2023. This is in stark contrast to other European nations like Belgium, France, Italy, and Ireland, which are actively facilitating such evacuations. The Foreign Office has stated its willingness to evacuate these families, further highlighting the apparent disconnect between the two government departments.
Lawyers for the families, trapped in what are described as life-threatening conditions, have cited instances where the Home Office has argued that family members, including young children, pose a security risk due to originating from a “territory where terrorists operate.” This stance is particularly contentious given that some refugees already in the UK were granted leave to remain precisely because they faced persecution by Hamas in Gaza. Sarah Crowe, a solicitor at Leigh Day, representing some of the affected families, stated, “The UK government has abandoned vulnerable families in Gaza after promising to assist them. The Home Office is blocking family reunification when the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office is ready and willing to evacuate them.”