Urge the Home Office to facilitate family reunification for Gaza refugees
The Issue
I am a member of a group of psychotherapists dedicated to speaking out for Palestinian rights. We are deeply concerned about families in Gaza, who are suffering severe and ongoing trauma due to the ongoing genocide and displacement. Many of these families comprise women and children who live in unimaginable conditions. They are having to live in overcrowded tents, facing dire food shortages and lacking access to clean water, and they are constantly exposed to disease from insanitary conditions, rodents and insects. To make matters worse, they live under the constant threat of violence and sniper attacks.
The Home Office is challenging a judicial decision that would allow families in Gaza to be reunited with relatives who have been granted asylum in the UK. By enforcing a requirement that these families travel to a neighbouring country for biometric testing, the Home Office is exacerbating the hardships they already face. Families trapped in a cycle of despair long for safety and reunion with their loved ones in the UK, but are expected to apply for and make an arduous and dangerous journey merely to obtain the right to apply for family reunification.
It is critical that the UK government acknowledges the severe humanitarian crisis these families are experiencing. The Home Office's appeal not only prolongs their suffering but insists on an additional layer of bureaucracy, creating further trauma and suffering. This goes against any claim to live by principles of compassion and human rights.
Family reunification is a fundamental human right recognized internationally, and it is essential that the UK adheres to its commitment to protect those fleeing violence and persecution. We urge Shabana Mahmood to live up to our moral and legal responsibility to provide refuge and support.
By signing this petition, you are urging the Home Office to cease its appeal of the judgement and to remove the requirement for biometric testing for parents and children in Gaza seeking reunification with their immediate families. Together, we can call for action that upholds human rights and alleviates suffering. Please add your signature to help ensure these families can finally find peace and solace with their loved ones.
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The Issue
I am a member of a group of psychotherapists dedicated to speaking out for Palestinian rights. We are deeply concerned about families in Gaza, who are suffering severe and ongoing trauma due to the ongoing genocide and displacement. Many of these families comprise women and children who live in unimaginable conditions. They are having to live in overcrowded tents, facing dire food shortages and lacking access to clean water, and they are constantly exposed to disease from insanitary conditions, rodents and insects. To make matters worse, they live under the constant threat of violence and sniper attacks.
The Home Office is challenging a judicial decision that would allow families in Gaza to be reunited with relatives who have been granted asylum in the UK. By enforcing a requirement that these families travel to a neighbouring country for biometric testing, the Home Office is exacerbating the hardships they already face. Families trapped in a cycle of despair long for safety and reunion with their loved ones in the UK, but are expected to apply for and make an arduous and dangerous journey merely to obtain the right to apply for family reunification.
It is critical that the UK government acknowledges the severe humanitarian crisis these families are experiencing. The Home Office's appeal not only prolongs their suffering but insists on an additional layer of bureaucracy, creating further trauma and suffering. This goes against any claim to live by principles of compassion and human rights.
Family reunification is a fundamental human right recognized internationally, and it is essential that the UK adheres to its commitment to protect those fleeing violence and persecution. We urge Shabana Mahmood to live up to our moral and legal responsibility to provide refuge and support.
By signing this petition, you are urging the Home Office to cease its appeal of the judgement and to remove the requirement for biometric testing for parents and children in Gaza seeking reunification with their immediate families. Together, we can call for action that upholds human rights and alleviates suffering. Please add your signature to help ensure these families can finally find peace and solace with their loved ones.
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Petition created on 5 October 2026