Palestinian hoping to help family reach UK calls for Ukraine-style visa scheme

A Palestinian pupil successful Scotland who has spent a twelvemonth trying to assistance his household flight Gaza has urged the UK Government to motorboat an inaugural akin to the Ukraine Family Scheme.

Mahmoud Almassri, 31, near his hometown of Beit Hanoun, a metropolis connected the north-east borderline of the Gaza Strip, successful 2017 to survey a Masters grade successful Turkey earlier relocating to Edinburgh successful 2021 to survey physics astatine Heriot-Watt University successful the Scottish capital.

Since the commencement of the Israel-Hamas struggle connected October 7 past year, Mr Almassri, who has a biometric residence licence to survey successful the UK, has been trying to bring his 58-year-old father, 53-year-old mother, his 4 brothers and 3 sisters to the UK to question refuge.

The PhD pupil said his household successful Gaza were displaced 5 times successful the abstraction of 2 weeks successful August and presently enactment successful a structure adjacent to a schoolhouse successful Al Qarara, Khan Yunis, confederate Gaza.

He said his relatives consciousness “despair” arsenic they turn progressively little optimistic astir the imaginable of a ceasefire successful Gaza.

“They support proceeding from clip to clip astir talks of a ceasefire, but erstwhile they started seeing quality similar that 5 months agone they were optimistic and believed that,” helium told the PA quality agency.

“(But now) they go definite that aft they perceive astir a ceasefire that a massacre volition look oregon thing atrocious volition happen.”

He added his household indispensable “live with this” but “don’t truly cognize however to cope” and believes unit betwixt Israel and Hamas “is not getting better”.

Mr Almassri contacted his past section MP for Edinburgh South West, Joanna Cherry, successful January calling for a Ukraine-style visa for Palestinians.

“Even if you person a residence licence successful the UK, oregon whatever, you cannot permission Gaza – you are fundamentally successful prison,” helium said.

“I judge determination should beryllium a strategy due to the fact that it lone makes consciousness if the alleged escaped satellite truly cares astir the concern similar a humanitarian crisis.”

Advice from the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) outlined connected the UK Government website that determination are “currently nary exit routes disposable for overseas nationals to depart Gaza arsenic a effect of the subject operations” but has contacted authorities successful Israel, Egypt and Jordan astir alternate paths.

Fleeing Ukrainians were offered visas which granted 3 years permission successful the UK nether programmes specified arsenic Homes for Ukraine, the Ukraine Extension Scheme and the Ukraine Family Scheme.

The Ukraine Family Scheme visa, which closed connected February 19 2024, was an exertion allowing Ukrainian nationals to articulation household members oregon widen their enactment successful the UK, but determination is nary equivalent for Palestinians.

“(The government) person done it earlier for definite people, similar the Ukrainian crisis, they tin bash it again for crises with the aforesaid severity, similar what’s happening successful Gaza – I deliberation it’s conscionable a substance of whether they privation oregon they bash not privation to do,” Mr Almassri said.

“It is astir helping radical to flight death. It is wide that determination is astir nary anticipation successful the adjacent aboriginal and guiltless radical are being killed successful the thousands.”

His sister, Abeer, 28, was offered a spot astatine the University of St Andrews successful Scotland to survey a grade successful wellness information science, but could not travel to the UK aft Israeli subject took power of the Rafah borderline crossing betwixt Egypt and Palestine.

He said immoderate of his household members are “still clinging to the anticipation of returning backmost to their hometown” and said it is not casual for his younger brothers, aged 15 and 16, and his parents to “accept the thought of leaving Gaza”.

“I’m conscionable trying to bash immoderate I tin present due to the fact that I person entree to a batch of things present that they bash not person entree to,” helium said.

“I’m trying to fundamentally assistance them oregon assistance whoever tin survive, to survive.”

A Home Office spokesperson said: “We are keeping each existing pathways nether reappraisal successful effect to events successful Gaza.

“Palestinians who privation to articulation household members successful the UK indispensable bash truthful via the existing scope of routes available.”

PA has contacted Joanna Cherry for comment.