A pregnant British girl is “trapped” in Cairo, her household says, after a “catastrophe” within the UK authorities’s response to some refugees arriving from Gaza.
Yusra Alshanti, 25, from Manchester, crossed into Egypt on Friday through the border level at Rafah.
Six months pregnant, she was accompanied by her two younger daughters, who even have British passports, and her Palestinian husband Ibrahim Taha.
Talking to Sky Information, Yusra’s father, Nasser Alshanti, praised the Overseas Workplace’s preliminary efforts to get the entire household into Egypt.
He stated particular permission was granted for Ibrahim to cross the border.
UK officers had additionally “assured” Mr Alshanti that, when the household reached Cairo, his son-in-law could be granted a UK visa.
He stated he was assured by the Overseas Workplace that there was a border pressure group and an immigration group on the bottom in Egypt to assist folks get again to the UK, “so there could be no downside”.
However after a gathering on Saturday morning with officers in Cairo, the household has now found there isn’t any assure of a visa.
“Once they met the House Workplace group, it was a catastrophe,” Mr Alshanti commented.
“They stated ‘we are able to do nothing for you’.”
Yusra crossed into Egypt through the border level at Rafah
After additional inquiries, the couple have been instructed that to use for a visa would price nearly £2,000 and there was no steering on how lengthy the method would take.
“My daughter says she will not go away her husband behind, and he or she’d moderately they stayed in Gaza than be confronted with this,” Mr Alshanti stated.
“Except he will get a UK visa, Ibrahim will quickly be illegally staying in Egypt.”
He added: “They’re trapped within the center. Yusra is closely pregnant and has already missed two scans.”
Nasser Alshanti says the household has solely $100
The state of affairs has been made worse for the younger household because the UK-funded emergency lodging is just out there for 72 hours – and for Ms Alshnati’s household, it runs out on Monday morning.
“Officers are conscious that they have been dwelling in a refugee camp, away from their residence, for greater than a month”, Mr Alshanti stated.
“Any cash they have been capable of take with them, they’ve now spent. They’ve simply solely $100, so how they are going to keep in Egypt? What number of weeks? What number of days?
“We do not understand how they are going to purchase something, how they are going to eat. Nonetheless, we do not know. Nothing in any respect.”
The Overseas Workplace confirmed it’s conscious of the household’s struggles.
It stated in a press release: “This continues to be a fancy and difficult state of affairs. We stay involved with British Nationals within the area to offer them with the most recent data.”