Stephen attends debate on palestinian family visa scheme
Stephen has attended a debate in the House of Commons which called for the creation of a Gaza Family Scheme.
In recent months there have been calls for the creation of a new visa scheme for Palestinians in Gaza who wish to join family members in the UK. Concerns have been raised over the need to provide biometric information for existing visa routes due to the difficulty in accessing safe evacuation to reach visa application centres. The Government initially responded to these concerns to state that it had no plans to authorise entry clearance without biometrics for civilians in Gaza.
On 4 April, the Upper Tribunal found that the Home Office’s refusal to consider several applications for existing visa routes from families in Gaza without biometric data was unreasonable. The Government has since acknowledged this ruling and confirmed that it is considering the impact. It has, however, re-iterated that it does not intend to create a bespoke visa route for Palestinians.
Stephen had planned to give a speech outlining his support for such a scheme. Unfortunately he was not called by the Chair. However, you can read a draft of his planned speech here.
Speaking after the debate, Stephen said “I want to see an asylum system that is fair and consistent, and is based on showing compassion to those who are fleeing for their lives, like those in Gaza. In my view, every country has a responsibility to do its bit, alongside other countries, to help the many people escaping war and persecution in the world.”