Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether the Government’s proposed community sponsorship arrangements will allow established community groups and local supporters to nominate and sponsor named individuals or families who are currently within Gaza.

Palestinians who remain in Gaza will not be eligible for the named community sponsorship route from the outset.

To provide a lasting solution and support resettlement on a larger scale, the new routes will initially focus on individuals who meet the international definition of a refugee, or Palestinian refugees who fall outside UNHCR’s mandate. This will ensure that protection needs are assessed against established international standards and through robust processes based on existing resettlement schemes. The new routes will therefore initially be available only to refugees who are outside their country of origin.