A Safe Haven for Some, Not for Others: The UK’s Treatment of Palestinian Refugees

A Palestinian family granted refuge in the UK through an unexpected legal route has sparked furious criticism from senior government figures, including Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

The mother, father, and their four children—aged seven, eight, 17, and 18 in September—were forced to flee after an Israeli airstrike destroyed their home. Left without safety and security, they sought refuge in a refugee camp, where survival became a daily challenge amid constant attacks.

The family applied for entry to the UK under the Ukraine Family Scheme to join the father’s brother, who has lived in the UK since 2007 and is a British citizen. However, their application was refused in May last year after the Home Office concluded that the scheme’s requirements were unmet.

The family of six, who have been granted anonymity, appealed the decision, but the first-tier immigration tribunal judge dismissed their case in September. Nevertheless, upper tribunal judges allowed a further appeal in January, granting the family the right to live in the UK on the grounds of Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights, which protects the right to family life.

The Home Office contested the family's claim “rigorously” at both tribunals. Keir Starmer, among others, called the tribunal’s decision a "legal loophole" that needs to be closed.

More than 16 months into the destruction and carpet bombing of Gaza’s 2.3 million population—most of whom are women and children—the UK government continues to minimise the need to create safe routes for Palestinian refugees. 

As of January 2025, The Lancet reported at least 64,260 Palestinians killed in Gaza as a result of traumatic injuries between October 2023 and June 2024.

This figure was derived from a study published in January which utilised a capture-recapture analysis—a statistical method commonly used to estimate populations that are difficult to count directly.

This indicated that the official death toll reported by the Gaza Health Ministry was likely an undercount by about 40%.

The study also noted that its findings "underestimate the full impact of the military operation in Gaza, as they do not account for non-trauma-related deaths resulting from health service disruption, food insecurity, and inadequate water and sanitation" (The Guardian, January 2025).

The actual number of deaths is likely much higher, given the difficulties of collecting data in conflict zones. These studies highlight the severe humanitarian crisis in Gaza and underscore the urgent need for accurate data to inform international response and support for the affected populations.

In recent days, US President Donald Trump has referred to Gaza’s population as being 1.5 million, 1.7 million, or 1.8 million. But Gaza’s pre-war population was 2.3 million. What happened to the other 800,000 people? Does Trump know something about the ethnic cleansing of Gaza that we don't, or is this an attempt to minimise the numbers affected?

Regardless, Trump says people should think of Gaza as ‘a big real estate site’ the US will own, and that his plan to “take over Gaza” would not include a right of return for the more than 2 million Palestinians that he has said have “no alternative” but to leave because of the destruction left by Israel’s military campaign. He is effectively endorsing ethnic cleansing.

Few of us will be able to erase the image of Netanyahu - the architect of the Palestinian erasure, wanted by the International Criminal Court for war crimes - smiling at the world's press as Trump, the real estate magnate, announced his plans to own Gaza and turn it into the Riviera of the Middle East.

Meanwhile, the UK continues to refusing protection to Palestinians fleeing the destruction the UK Government contributes to. 

Home Office lawyers argue that allowing this one family into the UK would "open the floodgates," but no evidence supports this claim. Similar concerns were raised about Syrian and Afghan refugees, yet structured resettlement programmes led to manageable and orderly admissions.

The UK has extended compassion when politically convenient, yet closes its doors to Palestinians fleeing what Holocaust scholars, the United Nations, Amnesty International, and Human Rights Watch have warned is genocide and crimes against humanity, with calls for further investigations by international courts.

The UK has extended compassion when politically convenient, yet closes its doors to Palestinians fleeing what Holocaust scholars, the United Nations, Amnesty International, and Human Rights Watch have warned is genocide and crimes against humanity, with calls for further investigations by international courts.

The sensible, humanitarian response for the UK would be to create a dedicated humanitarian scheme for Palestinians. This scheme should include family reunification, emergency visa pathways for those in immediate danger, and long-term resettlement options with access to housing, employment, and social support.

A structured approach would enable refugees to rebuild their lives and contribute meaningfully to society. However, given Keir Starmer’s stated opposition to Palestinian refugees coming to live in the UK through the Ukraine Scheme, urgent pressure is needed to push for a humanitarian scheme despite government resistance.

Independent MP Ayoub Khan has since tabled a motion in parliament urging the British government to "urgently establish" a visa scheme for Palestinians with family ties in Britain. The motion reads:

"Recognising the humanitarian crisis continuing to be faced by many Palestinians, it is imperative that the UK underscores its commitment to humanitarian aid and support for those affected by conflict by facilitating their ability to reunite with families already residing in Britain."

Robina Qureshi