Asked by: Patricia Ferguson (Labour - Glasgow West)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will facilitate the issuing of visas to (a) Gazan and (b) other academics whose supporting paperwork has been lost during the conflict in the Middle East.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
The Government is determined to secure a ceasefire in Gaza and rapidly increase aid, ensuring humanitarian support is reaching people there.
The government is keeping existing visa pathways under review in response to events. Palestinians and academics from the Middle East affected by conflict who wish to come to the UK can do so via the existing range of visa routes available.
Any application for a UK visa will be assessed against the requirements of the Immigration Rules.
The requirements for each route, including how to prove the requirements are met, are set out in the Immigration Rules and accompanying guidance. There is additional guidance available for when to apply evidential flexibility, which decision makers will refer to when considering applications from applicants who may have lost documents due to ongoing conflict.
All decisions on visa applications are undertaken on a case-by-case basis, dependent on what applicants have stated on their application forms. The supporting documents guidance sets out the additional evidence required for the different types of visits – https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/visitor-visa-guide-to-supporting-documents/guide-to-supporting-documents-visiting-the-uk.
The Government welcomes academics from across the globe and recognises the importance of international collaboration in this field. Academic visitor visa applications are assessed in the round, looking at all the factors of the case, in line with immigration rules.