Relatives of British citizens recently evacuated from Gaza and those waiting to return to the UK have criticised the government’s repatriation guidance, as UK officials continue to support nationals crossing into Egypt.
Ahmad Abou-Foul’s family safely crossed from Gaza into Egypt on 3 November. He said they were “shocked” after arriving in Cairo when UK immigration officers advised the individuals with British passports to return to the UK with their children, and once there, start a reunification process for their Palestinian spouses.
“They were asking us to split a four-month-old from his mother – and a one-year-old and two-year-old,” said Abou-Foul, an NHS surgeon from Birmingham, whose 16 relatives – including young children – returned to the UK on Saturday.
“We were shocked. Probably they didn’t have a plan; this is what we felt,” he said.
After enduring weeks of Israeli bombardment that has killed more than 12,000 people, the family asked officials why they were being treated differently than in recent evacuations, such as those from Sudan, Ukraine and Afghanistan. Abou-Foul said the family were told that each situation was different.
Abou-Foul paid £16,000 in visa fees for three adults and two children. The family was not given any guidance or informed of any fee waivers, he said, and were asked to arrange their return at their own cost. The Guardian understands there have been repatriation cases in which individuals have had visa fees waived.
“What was the reason for us to be given this option?” said Abou-Foul, adding he did not think it was intentional but due to insufficient planning by the UK government.
“Why weren’t we supported by the FCDO [Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office]?
“If I have to do it again, I will do it again, because at that time I would have paid everything I have to get my family to safety.”
While the family is among the hundreds of foreign nationals who have escaped Israel’s airstrikes and the spiralling humanitarian crisis, more than 2 million people in Gaza, almost half of whom are children, remain under siege after Hamas militants killed at least 1,200 people and abducted 240 hostages in a surprise attack on Israel on 7 October.
The Rafah crossing first opened on 1 November to allow specific groups of foreign nationals and the seriously wounded to leave. By early November, more than half of the British nationals seeking to escape Gaza for Egypt had managed to do so.
The Guardian understands that transportation to Cairo and two nights’ of accommodation is being provided to British nationals and their dependants. While flights are not being facilitated, loans are being offered in a temporary exchange for passports.
“It’s not easy to afford the cost of the four tickets,” said a British national in Cairo who asked to remain anonymous.
“I can’t think how I am going to pay back the loan while my medical centre is closed, maybe damaged, and we left everything in Gaza.”
For six weeks, the family lived under Israeli bombardment, moving from northern Gaza to Khan Younis, the biggest city in the south, where tens of thousands of people have been evacuated in recent weeks.
After evacuating from Gaza seven days ago, the family has extended their stay in Egypt as they wait for a visa to be processed for a family member without a British passport.
Tessa Gregory, a human rights team partner at the law firm Leigh Day, said: “Our client and her British family who were living in Gaza have fled a war zone where they have survived desperate conditions and witnessed unspeakable violence.
“In these circumstances the British government should be doing everything within its power to get the family back to the UK as quickly as possible so they can start to rebuild their lives.
“We hope the Foreign Office will now reconsider its policy and cover the costs of flights for this family.”
A government spokesperson said: “The safety of British nationals remains a top priority.
“We are working at pace to support British families who have crossed the border into Egypt, making sure any dependants who need a visa can apply for one and that appropriate checks are carried out in a timely manner.”
