Mentions:
1: Peter Grant (SNP - Glenrothes) miracle they manage to reach the Egyptian border—remember, the only borders they have are with Israel and Egypt—the - Speech Link
2: Leo Docherty (Con - Aldershot) During his visit to al-Arish in Egypt, the Foreign Secretary met representatives from the Egyptian Red - Speech Link
3: Peter Grant (SNP - Glenrothes) Nobody can cross from Gaza to Egypt unless they have documents that prove they have been given the right - Speech Link
Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, whether he has had discussions with the Secretary of State for the Home Department on the potential merits of enabling (a) Palestinian civilians in Gaza and (b) other people living in war zones to apply for a visa without visiting a visa application centre.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
The Foreign Secretary meets regularly with the Home Secretary to discuss relevant policy matters between the two departments. Visa applications can be started online at any time. Applicants are required to enrol their biometrics in a Visa Application Centre (VAC) as part of the visa application process to support identity assurance and suitability checks on foreign nationals who are subject to immigration control. Foreign national dependents of British citizens who are travelling from Gaza to Egypt and require visas to come to the UK can apply online and then visit the Visa Application Centre in Cairo or Alexandria to provide their biometric information. Further advice on travelling to Egypt from Gaza is available at: https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/israel. The FCDO Consular Contact Centre can be contacted on 020 7008 5000.
There are no plans to authorise entry clearance without biometrics for visa applications from Palestinian civilians in Gaza and or other people living in war zones. Palestinians in Gaza who want to apply for a UK visa but are not a dependent of a British National are not currently eligible for FCDO assistance.
Mentions:
1: None Israel must take steps, working with other partners including the UN and Egypt, to significantly increase - Speech Link
2: None The first UK maritime shipment of aid for Gaza arrived into Egypt on 3 January, carrying 87 tonnes of - Speech Link
Asked by: Alan Brown (Scottish National Party - Kilmarnock and Loudoun)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, pursuant to the Answer of 16 January 2024 to Question 8039 Gaza: Humanitarian Aid, how much and what proportion of UK aid destined for Gaza has been (a) shipped to Egypt and (b) held by the Egyptian Red Crescent Society as of 17 January 2024.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
The UK has delivered 156 tonnes of UK aid for Gaza via Egypt. 74 tonnes were delivered on board ship RFA Lyme Bay and the remainder by air.
UK supplies have been passed on to our partners in the region and the majority are already in Gaza.
We have trebled our aid commitment for this financial year and are working closely with partners in international agencies and in the region to increase access.
Asked by: Marquess of Lothian (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government when they last held discussions on the future of Gaza with the governments of (1) Saudi Arabia and (2) Egypt.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK Government continues to engage regularly with counterparts from both the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Egypt. The Prime Minister last met with the Crown Prince and Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, HH Mohammed bin Salman, on 19 October in Riyadh, and the President of Egypt, Abdel Fattah El Sisi on 01 December, in the margins of COP 28. The Foreign Secretary last met with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's Minister for Foreign Affairs, Faisal bin Farhad Al Saud, on 14 December in London. The Foreign Secretary and I as the Minister for the Middle East met with President Sisi and the Egyptian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sameh Shoukry, during our regional visit 20-21 December. In all engagements UK Ministers, including the Prime Minister, have reiterated the Government's position: we support a two-state solution that guarantees security, justice and stability for both the Israelis and Palestinians.
Asked by: Caroline Lucas (Green Party - Brighton, Pavilion)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment he has made of the barriers to people in Gaza who are seeking to join their family members in the UK reaching their closest visa application centre in Egypt.
Answered by Tom Pursglove - Minister of State (Minister for Legal Migration and Delivery)
Immediate family members of British citizens, individuals with protection status, and those settled in the UK, who wish to come and live in the UK and do not have a current UK visa, can apply under one of the existing Family visa routes.
The Home Office is working closely with the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office 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 open and offering a full service.
In the vast majority of circumstances, the UK requires biometrics to be taken as part of an application; this is vital so we can conduct checks on the person’s identity and suitability to come to the UK. Biometrics, in the form of fingerprints and facial images, underpin the current UK immigration system to support identity assurance and suitability checks on foreign nationals who are subject to immigration control.
Applicants who are at risk of embarking on an unsafe journey must provide evidence they need to make an urgent journey to a VAC that would be particularly unsafe for them, and they cannot delay their journey until later or use alternative routes.
When considering a pre-determination or an excusal of the requirement for an applicant to enrol their biometrics request under the Unsafe Journey’s policy, decision-makers must refer to the Biometric Enrolment and the Unsafe Journey’s guidance.
Correspondence May. 23 2024
Committee: Home Affairs Committee (Department: Home Office)Found: Their nearest viable open VAC is therefore in Egypt , as Minister Pursglove pointed out during the
Asked by: John Healey (Labour - Wentworth and Dearne)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, where the UK defence attaché for Sudan is based.
Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)
The UK Defence Attaché in Egypt at the British Embassy in Cairo has responsibility for Sudan on a Non-Residential Accreditation.
Mentions:
1: None worldwide celebrated Passover, commemorating the Exodus and the end of centuries of Israelite slavery in Egypt - Speech Link
Mentions:
1: Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon (Con - Life peer) We strongly support the intensive diplomatic efforts by Egypt, Qatar and the United States to secure - Speech Link
2: Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon (Con - Life peer) We pay tribute to Qatar and Egypt, and to the United States. I am travelling to Egypt tomorrow. - Speech Link
3: Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon (Con - Life peer) It refers to:“Acknowledging the ongoing diplomatic efforts by Egypt, Qatar and the United States, aimed - Speech Link