The Home Office is launching an investigation after a baby’s birth certificate was returned to her parents “with the word Israel scribbled out”.
The Campaign Against Antisemitism said the certificate was sent off as part of a passport application two weeks ago and returned on Monday with the father’s place of birth defaced.
The organisation, which exposes cases of antisemitism, said the incident was “completely unacceptable”.
It posted the image on X, saying: “Two weeks ago, a member of the public sent off a passport application to @ukhomeoffice for his six-month-old baby girl.
“Today, the birth certificate was returned ripped with the word ‘Israel’ scribbled out. The parents are understandably very concerned about this incident.
“We are asking the Home Office to investigate how this happened. The Home Office has responsibility for law enforcement and the security of the Jewish community.
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“Confidence in the authorities is at painfully low levels and must be restored.”
Home Secretary James Cleverly replied and said he had asked officials to “investigate this urgently and will see that appropriate action is taken”.
The incident comes after figures published by the Community Security Trust (CST), a charity providing security to Jewish schools and institutions, revealed more than 4,000 antisemitic incidents were recorded in the UK in 2023.
Speaking in the Commons today, policing minister Chris Philp said the report made for “deeply disturbing reading” and that the figure provided was “the highest annual total” ever reported to the charity.
“There is no excuse for the behaviour outlined in the CST report, or seen in some of the shocking incidents that have occurred recently,” he said.
“Whenever and wherever criminality involving antisemitism occurs, this government expects police to fully investigate the incident, and work with the Crown Prosecution Service to bring the perpetrators to justice.”
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A spokesperson for Campaign Against Antisemitism said: “This is completely unacceptable. When sending off a passport application to the Home Office, the last thing one should ever expect is to have their child’s birthday 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. We are also asking the Home Office to investigate how this happened.
“The Home Office has responsibility for law enforcement and the security of the Jewish community and the wider public. Confidence in the authorities among British Jews is at painfully low levels and must be restored.”
The Home Office has been approached for comment.
