UK official apologizes to Jewish family after birth certificate defaced

The head of the UK Passport office offered a personal apology to the family of a young baby whose birth certificate was vandalized in February, the Telegraph reported on Friday.

“Israel” had been scribbled out on the official document.

Tom Pursglove, the immigration minister, told the source that Abi Tierney, the director general of the Passport Office, has “apologized unreservedly [and] directly” to the family and provided them with a replacement certificate.

Pursglove confirmed the investigation was still ongoing, six weeks after it had emerged that the baby’s birth certificate was damaged and defaced.

He added that a “small number” of the contractors’ staff remained suspended as the investigation continued to identify the individual responsible. 

“I continue to take this incident extremely seriously, and while I cannot preempt the outcome of the investigation, my officials are in no doubt of the need to ensure that such an issue is not repeated in the future. Please be assured that the appropriate action is being taken,” he said.

UK orders urgent investigation after Jewish birth certificate defaced

UK Home Secretary James Cleverly ordered an investigation after a Jewish couple in London had their daughter's birth certificate defaced after sending it to the Home Office during a passport application, the Campaign Against Antisemitism (CAA) said in February, the Jerusalem Post reported. 

Both parents were born in Israel, but only the father's birthplace was crossed out, while the mother's birthplace was not. 

The father, Israel, 32, and mother, Dorin, 29, said they felt like they had been targeted like "1930s Germany", telling British media, "We felt as if we had been taken back to 1930's Germany where the Nazis would put notes on Jewish people's documentation."

Yuval Barnea contributed to this report.