Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what provision his Department has made for collecting biometric data from relatives of British nationals fleeing Gaza in the absence of functioning visa applications centres in Gaza.

The Visa Application Centre in Gaza has been closed since 7 October 2023 due to the conflict in the region and to ensure the safety of staff and customers. UKVI will continue to monitor the situation and work closely with the commercial partner, TLS, to re-open the centre when it becomes safe to do so.

Those who wish to make a UK visa application will need to enrol their biometrics at an alternative Visa Application Centre in OPT (Ramallah or Jerusalem) or a nearby country. Customers can visit https://pos.tlscontact.com/ for an up to date list of Visa Application Centres in the region.