Trapped by Red Tape: Gaza Scholars Plea for UK Help

Pressure is mounting on the UK government to step in and assist 40 students from Gaza who have been awarded fully funded scholarships to study at universities across the UK but are currently stranded due to immigration barriers.

These students, due to begin their studies in September, face losing their life-changing opportunities unless urgent action is taken.

At the heart of the issue is a Home Office requirement for biometric data as part of the visa application process.

The designated biometric enrolment centre in Gaza, authorised by the UK, shut down in October 2023 amid escalating conflict.

It has also been impossible for students to travel safely to alternative centres in neighbouring countries.

Without access to biometric services, their visa applications cannot move forward.

In response to growing concern, a high-level meeting was held at the Home Office on Tuesday, following appeals from MPs and campaigners.

Advocates are calling for the government to grant the students a temporary waiver on biometrics and to help arrange safe passage to a third country where they can complete the visa process and travel to the UK.

Dr Nora Parr, a Birmingham University academic who has been supporting the group, said other European nations, including Ireland, France, Germany, Belgium and Italy, had already acted to evacuate students in similar circumstances.

She praised the determination of the students, many of whom prepared for university admissions from tents or improvised internet hubs amidst bombings and displacement.

“These students studied for language tests, wrote personal statements and participated in interviews under the most unimaginable conditions.

“Now, they are waiting for a decision from the UK government.

“Choosing not to act is a decision to deny them their hard-won futures,” Parr said.

She noted that the UK’s recent immigration white paper emphasized a reduction in international student visas.

It is a stance that, combined with the government’s lack of direct support for Palestine, has reportedly placed these students in a particularly vulnerable position.

The University and College Union (UCU), which represents over 125,000 academic staff across the UK, has echoed calls for action.

In a letter to Home Secretary Yvette Cooper, UCU General Secretary Jo Grady urged the government to fast-track the students’ entry process.

“These young Palestinians deserve to be in our lecture halls this autumn,” she wrote.

The affected students, who include aspiring doctors, midwives, and data scientists, have secured places at about 30 prestigious UK institutions.

These include Oxford, Cambridge, Edinburgh, St Andrews, and University College London (UCL).

They have been offered placements in fields ranging from artificial intelligence and genomic medicine to maternal health and public dental care.

One of the students, Soha, a 31-year-old midwife, has been accepted into a PhD programme at the University of Ulster.

Describing the humanitarian crisis she works in, she said: “I have seen mothers give birth under airstrikes, newborns take their first breaths in shelters, and healthcare workers persevere with nothing but sheer will.

I’m pleading with the UK government to act, time is running out.”

Soha hopes to return to Palestine after her studies to improve maternal healthcare and train a new generation of midwives in trauma-informed practices.

Abtisam Mohamed, Labour MP for Sheffield Central and co-chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on international students, is among those leading the political push for action.

“Gaza’s education system has been all but destroyed, yet some of its brightest students have secured places at leading universities abroad,” she said.

“This is not a bureaucratic delay, it is a life-or-death situation.

“Some of the students have already died waiting.

“Others are in constant danger.”

Universities across the UK are urging the government to act. Dr Michael Spence, president and provost of UCL, emphasized the importance of keeping educational doors open.

“The perseverance and passion these students have shown amid chaos is extraordinary,” he said.

“Helping them overcome the barriers they face is not just the right thing to do, it’s a chance to invest in hope, recovery, and leadership for the future.”

In a brief statement, a government spokesperson acknowledged the situation, saying: “We are aware of the students and are considering the request for support.”

But with the academic year fast approaching and danger intensifying in Gaza, advocates warn that every day of delay puts more lives and futures at risk.

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