UK to Allow Around 40 Gaza Students to Study on Funded Scholarships Amid War

UK to Allow Around 40 Gaza Students to Study on Funded Scholarships Amid War
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The UK government has approved plans to enable approximately 40 students from Gaza to travel to the UK on funded university scholarships, the BBC reported. Nine students will receive support under the government-funded Chevening scheme to pursue one-year master’s degrees, while around 30 others hold fully funded scholarships through private initiatives.

These students would be the first to leave Gaza to study in the UK since the Hamas-Israel conflict began in 2023, pending Israeli approval for their departure. The evacuation process involves complex logistics, including transferring students to a third country for visa biometric checks before their arrival in the UK.

The Home Office described the plan as challenging but emphasized the home secretary’s commitment to facilitating their studies. This decision follows months of advocacy by politicians and academics on behalf of more than 80 Palestinian students with UK university offers.

Concerns remain among students about the dangers of leaving Gaza and the emotional strain of separating from family. The UK is also arranging to evacuate critically ill children from Gaza for medical treatment. Meanwhile, other European countries such as Italy, Ireland, and France have evacuated Palestinian students, although France recently suspended its program following allegations of antisemitic remarks by a student.