Lord Alf Dubs, a Labour peer who escaped the Nazis as a child, has urged the Government to reconsider regulations that he believes are separating families from Gaza. In a letter to Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood, Lord Dubs requested permission for students to bring their spouses and children with them to the UK. He emphasized that current restrictions are placing students in a dilemma where they must choose between their education and their families.
Having arrived in the UK in 1939 under the Kindertransport initiative, Lord Dubs, now 92, highlighted the emotional toll of family separation caused by immigration policies. He shared his personal experience as one of the 10,000 unaccompanied children who fled Czechoslovakia to escape the Nazis, noting that many children never reunited with their parents.
While acknowledging the UK government’s initiative to sponsor students from Gaza for studies at British universities, Lord Dubs criticized the decision to prevent students from bringing their dependents, even when they can financially support them. He cited examples of prospective students, like Manar and Loay, who are faced with the heart-wrenching choice of leaving behind their young children and spouses for educational opportunities in the UK.
Despite the arrival of 34 Palestinian students in the UK for studies after being evacuated from Gaza, concerns persist over the separation of families due to existing regulations. Campaigners estimate that fewer than 25 children and spouses of eligible students are affected by these restrictions, emphasizing the enduring impact of family separation on individuals.
As of last week, the arrival of these Palestinian students marked the first instance of such evacuations from Gaza to the UK since 2023.
