Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of (a) creating a Gaza Family visa scheme modelled on the Ukraine Family Scheme visa and (b) deferring biometric requirements for those eligible for family reunion but unable to leave Gaza.

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. Palestinian nationals who wish to come to the UK can do so via the existing range of routes available. Immediate family members of British citizens and those settled in the UK who wish to come and live in the UK can apply under one of the existing family visa routes.

The FCDO is also providing consular assistance to those with British nationality, or dual nationality including British, who are in Gaza or who have left Gaza to a third country.

Any application for a UK visa will be assessed against the requirements of the Immigration Rules.

Biometrics, in the form of fingerprints and facial images, underpin the UK immigration system and are integral to national security. We recently published updated guidance on Gov.UK that sets out the circumstances where we may predetermine an application before a person attends a visa application centre to enrol their biometric information or when we may excuse the person from having to enrol their biometrics before they travel to the UK.

Where a relevant application is made, consideration will be given to compelling compassionate factors that are raised.