More than 80 Palestinian students have received offers at UK universities for courses starting this September, including 40 who have secured full scholarships. 16 students are due to start at UCL in September.
Students in Gaza completed their applications against the backdrop of a catastrophic humanitarian crisis, undertaking interviews without access to stable electricity or the internet. Many had to travel for hours across dangerous territory to reach makeshift WiFi hubs. However, they’ve been met with another barrier - the Visa Application Centre in Gaza has been closed since the outbreak of war meaning Palestinians cannot submit the biometric data required to apply for a student visa.
Palestinians have largely been unable to leave Gaza without diplomatic assistance since October 2023, however we understand that around 40 students (on full scholarships, including some at UCL) will now be supported by the UK to evacuate. They will be taken to a third country in the region for visa biometric checks before being brought to the UK to start their courses. Recent reporting also confirms the government is understood to be considering appeals for support from the remaining 40 students with places at UK universities, though no decisions have been announced.
We welcome the news of government assistance and ask the government to urgently give assurances to all students holding offers for UK Universities. We can only imagine the stress and anxiety this uncertainty is causing.
What we’re doing
- We have written to the Foreign Office and the Home Office to implore them to support all student offer holders to complete the required checks to take up their places at UK Universities.
- We’re in regular dialogue with UCL’s admissions team to understand how many students from Gaza we are expecting and the support they are receiving.
- We’re part of a new UCL wide working group, University of Sanctuary, that aims to support those with forced migration and refugee backgrounds.
What you can do
Write to your local MP and encourage them to speak to the Foreign Office and Home Office about supporting all students from Gaza to attend their universities.
Many MPs already support these efforts, but we need to keep the momentum up to make sure all students can be supported.
Here’s a template letter you can use, feel free to edit the letter to personalise it before you send it to your MP. Find your MP here.