LONDON: Palestinian students in Gaza who are traveling to the UK to take up scholarships will be allowed to bring their families after a government move to consider exemptions, The Guardian reported on Thursday.
Existing student visa policies meant that the students were previously unable to take up their scholarships because their families and children were prevented from coming with them to Britain.
But after an extensive lobbying campaign by MPs, academics and human rights groups, the government changed the rules and the students can now bring their family members.
“Students coming from Gaza to the UK have suffered an appalling ordeal after two years of conflict. They have endured unimaginable hardship but can now begin to rebuild their lives through studying in our world class universities,” a government spokesperson said.
“That is why we are supporting the evacuation of dependents of students on scholarships who are eligible to study here under the immigration rules on a case-by-case basis.”
Since British evacuations for Palestinian students began, about 75 have arrived in the country, all of whom have full university scholarships.
A cross-party group of more than 100 MPs wrote to the government earlier in October demanding the latest exemption and highlighting the plight of Palestinian students.
The Refugee Council’s CEO Enver Solomon said: “It is excessively harsh to tell students fleeing the appalling devastation in Gaza that while they can study safely here, they must leave their loved ones behind. No one should be forced to choose between their education and their family.”
