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Gaza refugee says sister-in-law ‘would be alive’ if Home Office had let her come to UK

From The Guardian · () English

Summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • A Gaza refugee in Glasgow says his sister-in-law, who died of cancer in Gaza, might still be alive if the Home Office had approved her family’s move to the UK.
  • Anwar fled Gaza in 2020 and received refugee status in Britain in 2021 before applying in October 2025 to bring relatives to the country.
  • He said the Home Office rejected the application after Israeli forces destroyed large areas of Gaza following the Hamas attacks in October 2023.

Anwar believes his sister-in-law would still be alive if the UK Home Office had allowed her family to come to Britain. Maryam died of cancer in Gaza, and Anwar says officials rejected the application despite her illness.

Anwar lives in Glasgow after fleeing Gaza in 2020. The UK granted him refugee status in 2021. In October 2025, he applied to bring his brother Hassan, Maryam, their two young children and other relatives to the UK.

His application came after the destruction of large areas of Gaza by Israeli forces following the Hamas attacks on Israel in October 2023. Anwar said the Home Office refused the family’s application, leaving his relatives in Gaza. He now says that decision cost Maryam the chance to receive treatment and survive.

would be alive

· AnwarHe said his sister-in-law might still be alive if the Home Office had approved her family’s move to the UK.
About this summary

Originally published by The Guardian. Summarized and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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