27 Nov 2014

Government relents over visas for stranded Gaza family

The government has backtracked over its refusal to allow a British Palestinian father’s children evacuated from Gaza to settle in the UK. It has now granted visas to Ali Dallou’s five children, who were stranded in Jordan, to come and live with him in England.

The reversal come after Channel 4 News highlighted the goverment’s apparently contradictory decisions in the case.

You can see my report from 25 October below:

The Foreign Office had arranged the evacuation of the 52 year old father and his family during a temporary ceasefire in August’s attacks by Israel on the Palestinian territory. They found temporary accommodation in Amman.

Mr Dalloul claimed he was promised his children would be able to travel with him back to the UK, yet the Home Office refused on the grounds public funds would be necessary to support them – but later conceded the family would be self sufficient in the UK.

The reversal also follows a threat of legal action against the Foreign Office for failing to safeguard the rights of the children by dumping them in another country.

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