Petition Allow Palestinian Children to Enter the UK During Ongoing Conflict

Government responded

This response was given on 21 December 2023

At present, the UK is not considering establishing a bespoke immigration route for Palestinian children. The UK considers its resettlement approach in the round, not on a crisis-by-crisis basis.

The UK Government is monitoring the situation in Israel and Gaza closely to ensure that it is able to respond appropriately.

The UK Government is calling for unimpeded humanitarian access in Gaza so that essential aid can reach civilian populations, including food, water, fuel and medical supplies. It is important that all possible measures are taken to protect civilians and ensure safe humanitarian access.

The UK Government is not considering establishing a separate route for Palestinians, including children, to come to the UK.

We recognise that some people impacted by the violence across Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories may wish to join family in the UK. The UK Government is working with authorities across the region to facilitate the repatriation of British citizens and their family members who already hold permission to come to the UK.

British citizens and their foreign national dependants (spouse, unmarried/civil partner, child under 18), may come to the UK provided they have valid travel documents and existing permission to enter or remain in the UK; or are non-visa nationals.

Individuals who do not meet these criteria should apply for a visa to enable them to enter the UK in the normal way. Further information can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/browse/visas-immigration.

UKVI is working closely with the FCDO in supporting family members of British nationals evacuated from Gaza who require a visa, signposting the necessary steps and expediting appointments at the Visa Application Centre (VAC). VACs in the region such as Egypt, Jordan, and Turkey are also open and offering a full service.

The UK maintains a proud history of providing protection for those who are most in need through our existing safe and legal routes.
Since 2015, over half a million people were offered safe and legal routes into the UK. This includes over 28,600 individuals resettled to the UK under its global UNHCR resettlement schemes, which include the UK Resettlement Scheme, Community Sponsorship and the Mandate Resettlement Scheme.

The UK continues to work with UNHCR to accept referrals of the most vulnerable refugees, deemed as in need of resettlement to the UK, under its existing resettlement schemes.

The UNHCR makes referrals based on an assessment of protection needs and vulnerabilities, in line with their resettlement submission criteria, which include children and adolescents at risk. In undertaking this assessment, UNHCR will conduct a best interest assessment (BIA) to see if a child would benefit from resettlement. Where a child is unaccompanied, it may be in the child’s best interest to remain in the region, where they are more likely to be reunited with their family.

BIAs are required for cases where parents are no longer together, and resettlement will effectively split the family unit and the custody of the child/children is not clear cut, i.e. one parent is missing and UNHCR is unable to obtain official parental consent to resettle the child/children.

Home Office