The immigration minister, Robert Jenrick, announced that the Home Office is reviewing the “first cases” after police forces were asked to refer foreign Hamas supporters for possible visa revocation. He stated that there have been a number of referrals and that the first cases are currently being considered by the Home Office.
The recent Israel-Hamas conflict has led to vigils and demonstrations worldwide, with individuals from Jewish and Arab communities, as well as anti-Israel activists, participating. Some of these protests have included chants such as “from the river to the sea.” The demonstrations have also seen several arrests for offenses like throwing fireworks, criminal damage, and hate crimes.
British Home Secretary Suella Braverman, along with Jonathan Hall, KC, the government’s independent reviewer of terrorism legislation, have expressed concerns that some rhetoric used in the pro-Palestinian demonstrations glorifies terrorism. In response, Mr. Jenrick and Chris Philp, the policing minister, wrote to chief constables requesting “zero-tolerance for antisemitism and the glorification of proscribed terrorist groups” during protests.
Hamas, a proscribed terrorist group in the UK, launched attacks on Oct. 7, resulting in the death of over 1,400 Israeli civilians and the taking of more than 200 hostages. Pointing to incidents of disorder, violence, and hate during pro-Palestinian protests in the UK, the ministers deemed it completely unacceptable that individuals in the country would support terrorism and intimidate vulnerable communities.
Ministers highlighted that some of the individuals identified as participating in the protests were in the UK with temporary leave, such as student, work, or visit visas. They emphasized that the Home Office would not hesitate to enforce the law and revoke the visas of such individuals if their presence was deemed detrimental to the public good. They urged chief constables to use the existing referral mechanisms when dealing with immigrant suspects.
Regarding the number of referrals received, Mr. Jenrick stated that there have been a number of them, and the Home Office is currently considering the first cases. He emphasized the government’s commitment to removing individuals who commit crimes and spread hate in the country.
The Metropolitan Police announced a spike in hate crimes across London, including racially or religiously motivated criminal damage, online abuses, and other offenses. Between Oct. 1 and Oct. 18, the police received reports of 218 anti-Semitic offenses, an increase of 14 times compared to the same period last year. Additionally, Islamophobic allegations more than doubled, rising from 42 to 101.
During a pro-Palestinian rally, the police arrested ten individuals who were filmed chanting curses against non-believers, Jews, and Israel. The police considered these actions to amount to a hate crime offense. However, an individual chanting “Jihad” during a smaller rally on the same day didn’t break any laws.
In terms of accepting Gaza refugees, the Scottish First Minister, Hamza Yusuf, expressed Scotland’s willingness to be the first country in the UK to offer safety and sanctuary to those affected by the attacks. When asked if the UK government would accept refugees from Gaza, Mr. Jenrick stated that it was premature to consider such a move. He emphasized that the initial focus should be on assisting British nationals in Gaza and working with neighboring countries to secure safe passage for them. The government’s second priority is providing humanitarian aid to Gaza without allowing it to be controlled by Hamas. Mr. Jenrick stated that the UK should support people in difficult situations through diplomacy and development aid rather than immediate migration. He confirmed that there is currently no plan to accept non-British refugees from Gaza.