A court has quashed a Home Office decision blocking mothers and children in Gaza from joining their families in Britain, finding the home secretary acted unlawfully in the way the 'unsafe journeys' policy was applied. The ruling, from a judge in the upper immigration tribunal, applies to two families whose cases were before the court.
The decision, reported Monday, overturns the refusal to let the families travel to the UK to reunite with relatives. The judge found the manner in which the policy was applied to the two families was unlawful, effectively striking down the blocks on their applications.
The ruling adds to mounting legal scrutiny of Britain's immigration posture toward Gazan families seeking to reunite with relatives already in the UK, as the war's humanitarian fallout continues to push families toward perilous routes.
Neither the Home Office nor the families' representatives have indicated whether the decision will be appealed, or how it might affect other pending applications under the same policy.
