Critically injured Palestinian children who were to be “urgently” brought to the UK for treatment are still waiting to board a plane to Britain more than six weeks after the evacuation was announced, The i Paper can reveal.

Some of the children needing life-saving care have been rerouted to receive treatment in Italy following “UK delays” according to one charity.

The delay appears to have been caused by the government’s insistence that the children’s relatives must travel with a biometric visa which stores information such as facial recognition and finger prints.

The Home Office says biometric visas “play a significant role in securing our borders” but obtaining them is a process that can take weeks to complete.

The need for biometric visas upon entry was previously waived for Ukr

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