Politics · United Kingdom · 1 day ago
UK resettlement route for Palestinians limited to people in Jordan and Lebanon
The UK has reopened a refugee resettlement scheme that may include some Palestinians.
The cases will be limited to a very small number of urgent applications from people who have fled Gaza to Jordan or Lebanon.
People still in Gaza are not eligible for this route under the UK’s explanation of its rules.
The government says refugees must be outside their country of origin to qualify, while Palestinian groups say the announcement gave people in Gaza false hope that they could apply.
A refugee assistance group will assess referrals from humanitarian organisations in Jordan and Lebanon before sending cases to the UK.
The UK has not said how many Palestinians it will accept, and the decision will depend on funding and local authorities’ capacity.
The scheme is intended to offer a safe way to reach the UK without relying on smuggling gangs.
The UK’s reopened refugee resettlement route for Palestinians will consider only a very small number of urgent cases referred from Jordan and Lebanon.
Palestinians who remain in Gaza are not initially eligible for these routes, the Home Office said.
The Communities for Palestinians alliance said the government’s announcement gave people in Gaza false hope that they could apply.
The Home Office said the scheme has always been for people outside their country of origin.
The International Refugee Assistance Project will receive referrals from humanitarian organisations in Jordan and Lebanon and interview potential applicants.
- Who
- Palestinian refugees who have fled Gaza to Jordan or Lebanon may be referred. The Home Office and the International Refugee Assistance Project are involved.
- What
- The UK reopened a resettlement route that will consider a very small number of urgent Palestinian cases.
- When
- Shabana Mahmood announced the scheme’s reopening at Labour’s annual conference last month. The article was published on 10 October 2026.
- Where
- Referrals will be processed in Jordan and Lebanon; Palestinians who remain in Gaza are not initially in scope.
- Why
- The route is for refugees outside their country of origin, and the programme focuses on extremely vulnerable people whose lives have become unsustainable in Jordan or Lebanon.
Communities for Palestinians
Home Office
Eligibility
Communities for Palestinians
The alliance said the announcement led people to believe Palestinians could be rescued from Gaza through the scheme.
Home Office
The Home Office said Palestinians remaining in Gaza are not initially eligible because the route is for people outside their country of origin.
Announcement
Communities for Palestinians
The alliance said the eligibility restriction was missing from the home secretary’s speech and subsequent Home Office statements.
Home Office
The Home Office said the scheme had always been for people outside their country of origin.
The applause at Shabana’s announcement at conference was at the prospect of a resettlement scheme for Palestinians fleeing war and persecution. People understood that would mean rescuing people from Gaza.
Palestinians who remain in Gaza would not initially be in scope for these routes. However, Palestinians who have fled Gaza could be referred to the UK through the International Refugee Assistance Project [Irap].
To qualify for refugee status under international frameworks, individuals must be outside their country of origin.
Shabana Mahmood announced at Labour’s annual conference that the UK resettlement scheme would reopen.
Communities for Palestinians exchanged emails with the International Refugee Assistance Project, and restrictions on eligibility emerged.
The Guardian reported that the route would consider only a very small number of urgent cases referred from Jordan and Lebanon.
- Referral locations
- Jordan and Lebanon
- Cases
- A very small number of extremely urgent humanitarian cases
- Referral organisation
- International Refugee Assistance Project (Irap)
- Announcement
- Shabana Mahmood announced the scheme’s reopening at Labour’s annual conference
- Home secretary
- Shabana Mahmood
Sources
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