Gaza: British Nationals Abroad

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office written question – answered at on 13 November 2023.

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Photo of Lisa Nandy Lisa Nandy Shadow Minister (International Development)

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to help support UK nationals who have been evacuated from Gaza to Egypt since October 2023.

Photo of Lisa Nandy Lisa Nandy Shadow Minister (International Development)

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with his Egyptian counterpart on support for UK citizens evacuated from Gaza to Egypt.

Photo of Lisa Nandy Lisa Nandy Shadow Minister (International Development)

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department has taken to help ensure the return to the UK of British citizens in Egypt who have been evacuated from Gaza.

Photo of David Rutley David Rutley Assistant Whip (HM Treasury), Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

As of 5 November, more than 150 British nationals have exited Gaza via the Rafah crossing. We anticipate more will cross in the coming days now that the border has reopened. This nevertheless continues to be a complex and challenging situation. The safety of British nationals remains our top priority. The UK has a team at the Rafah crossing to ensure we can provide the necessary medical, consular and administrative support needed. We are providing support for British nationals to get from Rafah to Cairo, where we have set up a reception centre and have arranged accommodation. Additional Consular and Border Force staff are in country to support this work, as is an FCDO Rapid Deployment Team - which arrived on 2 November - and a team of British Red Cross psychological support experts. We expect that British nationals will use commercial means to depart Egypt; where they and their dependents are unable to fund this, emergency loans are available. We are in regular dialogue with Egyptian counterparts regarding exits via the Rafah Crossing.

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