Derry & Strabane Council urges UK & Ireland governments to extend Ukrainian visa scheme to Palestinians

At a Full Council Meeting on Wednesday, January 31, SDLP Councillor Lilian Barr proposed that the Council call on Governmental leaders to support a Palestinian visa scheme similar to the Ukraine scheme.

The scheme would give individuals with family in Ireland or the UK “safe passage and the opportunity to join them”.

Colr. Barr’s motion also called for the Council to seek collaboration from all Northern Ireland Councils, and relevant Northern Ireland Government departments, to “support this call pledging to facilitate and support the resettlement of Palestinian families”.

Colr. Barr said it was “very hard to quantify the amount of people dead or missing in Gaza”, with estimated figures of 27,000.

She added: “The unspeakable sense of complete destruction we have witnessed, day after day, has shaken us to the core.

“Of course, there is no defence for the actions of Hamas [on October 7] and we must see the release of hostages, but the escalation of murder in Gaza is horrifying.

“Israel’s actions must be condemned as a genocide happening in plain sight, and people in Gaza have been left thinking ‘what can I do?’.

“People in this city and area are people of solidarity, who know all-too-well the consequences of inaction when faced with brutality.

“It’s incumbent on this Council to do everything it can, even in a small way, to contribute to the protection of human life.

“A visa scheme would allow Palestinians safe passage, just as we did for Ukrainians, and it would be a powerful message of solidarity while offering practical support to those trapped in a living Hell.”

People Before Profit Councillor Shaun Harkin said it was important that “any Palestinian seeking sanctuary can do so”.

Colr. Harkin added: “There are 500,000 Palestinians in Gaza already starving, so of course we should be listening when Palestinian families ask for help.

“But we have to be cognisant that the goal of the Israeli state is to drive every Palestinian out of Gaza and the West Bank. That’s why Palestinians are so determined to stay.

“One of the many motions we’ve passed over the years was to support Palestinians’ right to return, so even if people can come here, which we should support, they should also have the right to go home.”

Earlier at Wednesday’s meeting, SDLP Councillor Catherine McDaid also proposed that the Council contacted local authorities in Bethlehem, to start the process of twinning the Palestinian city with Derry and “show our support to the people of the region”.

Colr. McDaid said: “Although all eyes are on Gaza, the Israeli army continues to carry out raids in the West Bank. People in Bethlehem have links to Gaza through family, and church leaders decided to abandon festive celebrations in December through solidarity.

“This selflessness is admirable, and I think people in this country need to take a leaf from their book and call for a ceasefire. This is an opportunity to create a link with the Christian capital of the World.”

Andrew Balfour,

Local Democracy Reporter