Today in Parliament, I joined calls across the House of Commons to urge the Government to instate a family visa scheme for Palestinians fleeing danger in Gaza.

Thousands of Palestinians are trapped in Rafah, desperately seeking a way out. This is leading to many Palestinians embarking on treacherous journeys to reach their loved ones here in the UK in a desperate attempt to escape the conflict. For many, fleeing Gaza to reach safety amongst their loved ones means paying thousands of pounds to people traffickers, further emboldening dangerous networks used by traffickers.

The Government has repeatedly said it is adamant to put an end to people smuggling. This issue could be solved by instating a Family Visa Scheme for Palestinians with loved ones in the UK so that they may reach their loved ones safely through legitimate means. It is the very least the Government can do to minimise the sheer scale of suffering of the people in Gaza as they are left everyday with less and less options for safety.

My constituents, along with thousands of people across the UK are gravely concerned for the situation in Rafah and are demanding the Government show compassion and take action immediately to help those in need by putting a Family Visa Scheme in place for Palestinians to be able to seek legitimate, safe avenues to unite with their loved ones settled in the UK.

You can watch my full intervention during the debate here or read the full text on Hansard here.