Suspensions after 'Israel' crossed out on birth certificate

An image of the certificate shows the right-hand side apparently torn with the word 'Israel' crossed out

Staff at a private company working with the Home Office have been suspended after a birth certificate was returned with the word "Israel" scribbled out.

The baby's birth certificate was sent off as part of a passport application.

The Campaign Against Antisemitism (CAA) posted an image of the certificate, which was also torn, and said the family were "very concerned".

Home Secretary James Cleverley confirmed the suspensions on X but the number of staff is not clear.

The Home Office launched an urgent review of the claims on Tuesday. The CAA said the certificate was sent off two weeks ago and was returned on Monday with the father's place of birth crossed out. The mother's place of birth, which is also Israel, is untouched.

Mr Cleverly said on X: "We apologise to the family for the offence caused and I have ordered an urgent review of a birth certificate being defaced.

"While we establish the facts, our commercial partner has suspended some staff.

"This matter is totally unacceptable. We will not tolerate antisemitism."

The father, who is also called Israel, told BBC Radio 4's World at One programme the family had considered leaving the UK and moving to Israel because of a rise in antisemitism since the Hamas attacks on 7 October.

Israel, who has asked the BBC not to use his last name for security reasons, said he and his family took precautions when in public.

"When we are walking in the city centre, when we take the kids on outings, we don't wear any Jewish outward sign, no pendants with a David star, I put hats over my kids' kippah, we're careful not to speak Hebrew," he said.

He had not previously hidden his faith, he said, adding: "I would say I feel a bit unwelcome in places."

He said the family had sent the birth certificate in a hard-backed envelope. It was returned in a "regular office brown envelope" with the word Israel "scribbled over in black pen".

"My first thought was that it may have been damaged in transit but the Home Office envelope is in a good condition so we understand someone had done it deliberately," he said.

He said his wife had been very scared by the incident, particularly because "someone has all our details and this is someone from a place that should be the most secure place."

He added that he trusted the Home Office to investigate and take action.

The CAA said the "completely unacceptable" incident had left the child's parents "very concerned".

A spokesperson for the charity added: "When sending off a passport application to the Home Office, the last thing one should ever expect is to have their child's birth certificate returned torn, with the parent's place of birth scribbled out, just because it is the Jewish state.

"We are assisting the parents, who are understandably very concerned about this incident."

Home Secretary James Cleverly replied to the post on X (formerly Twitter), saying he had asked officials to "investigate this urgently" and to see that "appropriate action is taken".

Reports of antisemitic incidents in the UK reached a record high last year, according to figures from a Jewish security charity.

The Community Security Trust (CST) recorded 4,103 anti-Jewish hate incidents in 2023, up from 1,662 in 2022. Two thirds of incidents happened on or after the Hamas attacks on 7 October.

The latest figures from some of the UK's largest police forces also showed a significant rise in antisemitic offences in the month following the attacks.

Greater Manchester Police recorded 74 such incidents compared with 15 during the same period the previous year, while the British Transport Police noted 87 offences - up from eight over the same period in 2022.

The Metropolitan Police separately recorded 218 antisemitic incidents between 1 and 18 October - up from 15 across the same period the previous year.

Some forces, including the Met, also recorded a rise in Islamophobic offences.