51³Ô¹Ï

Campaigners have warned that delays, logistical obstacles and opaque decision-making are leaving students from Gaza in distress, despite the UK government¡¯s pledge to help evacuate some of them.?

The government had previously said it would allow 40 Gazan students to take up their fully funded university places this autumn.

These measures are now being extended to all students from Gaza with verified full scholarships covering both tuition and living costs, enabling them to start courses no later than 31 December 2025.

Ministers have confirmed that systems are in place to issue expedited visas for scholars, with ¡°biometrics¡± and ¡°robust security checks¡± conducted before arrival in the UK.

Nora Parr, a research fellow at the University of Birmingham and volunteer with the Gaza Scholarship Initiative, told 51³Ô¹Ï that students had begun receiving messages from the government, but the process remains slow and incomplete.

Only around half of eligible students have received contact from officials, Parr said.

¡°Those who haven¡¯t been contacted are obviously very worried. They don¡¯t know if it¡¯s because they¡¯re not eligible or because they did something wrong ¨C they would love clarity.¡±

Students face further complications with travel documents.

¡°Many of the students have lost passports or have expired passports ¨C this has been going on so long the passports expire ¨C and they have had to have them renewed. And then those passports are not in their possession.

¡°So they need to have their passports moved to a central location, and so all of this takes time and that is all being coordinated by the government, slowly,¡± she said.

Universities should be prepared for some students to arrive without essentials, she added.?

¡°Students will arrive with nothing ¨C with a phone and a phone charger, sometimes not even a phone¡­so they will need everything.

¡°It is not the responsibility of the universities to give them everything but we are advising them that they will come with nothing and whatever support can be offered should be,¡± she said.

Parr praised the Scottish government for its preparations, noting daily briefings and dedicated resources at universities such as Glasgow, but warned that support would vary widely.

The government has asked each university to appoint a contact person for incoming students.?Despite these efforts, significant worries remain.

¡°We¡¯re concerned obviously that there will be students left behind,¡± Parr said.?

¡°The government has indicated that not all eligible students may necessarily make it to the UK and that is certainly concerning.

¡°We want to make sure that every eligible student is able to take up their place ¨C Yvette Cooper stood up and made a commitment to students ¨C and we would really like to make sure that every student who is eligible is able to take up their place.¡±

In , the government stressed that ¡°a student¡¯s journey out of Gaza and onwards to the UK cannot be guaranteed, and timelines remain uncertain. This process is highly dependent on factors outside the UK government¡¯s control.¡±

Officials said they will work with devolved governments and universities to identify eligible students and ensure ongoing support throughout their studies.

tash.mosheim@timeshighereducation.com