Three students from the Gaza Strip have arrived at Oxford University to begin their studies after being evacuated by the UK government in late September. The students are the first of several Gazan offer holders set to arrive in Oxford after the government approved their visas in August.
At least six students in Gaza and the West Bank hold offers to study at Oxford through the University’s Palestine Crisis Scholarship Scheme. These students, and other Gazans holding offers and scholarships to study in the UK, had been unable to provide biometrics necessary for obtaining a valid UK visa due to the closure of visa offices in the Gaza Strip in October 2023.
One of these offer holders, Salam, described leaving Gaza as “a wonderful feeling”. She told Cherwell: “Words cannot describe the joy I feel for this achievement, made possible with the help of many students from Oxford University, as well as volunteers and lawyers who worked tirelessly for months to make the dreams of dozens come true.”
The students travelled to the West Bank and into Jordan for biometric processing, before flying to the UK. Cherwell understands that one Oxford offer holder still remains in Gaza despite having his visa approved earlier in summer.
The remaining student, Loay, who holds an offer to study MSc Health Service Improvement and Evaluation told Cherwell: “After months of fear, uncertainty, and displacement, knowing that our academic futures may now be within reach is incredibly emotional.”
An Oxford University spokesperson told Cherwell: “The University is part of sector-wide efforts to support the arrival of students from Gaza and are in contact with our offer-holders who are facing the greatest difficulty. We hope to welcome several students from Gaza on full scholarships this autumn.”
In total, the government plans to evacuate around 40 university-funded students living in the Gaza Strip, all of whom hold offers to study at UK institutions. These offer holders include students on the Chevening Scheme, a predominantly government-funded programme for graduate students. The Home Secretary has also approved plans to assist around 30 students on privately funded scholarships.
The government’s plans follow a public call from the UK higher education sector to remove the barriers facing students from Gaza, including an open letter signed by members of the Oxford University Student Union (SU) in August.
The letter, initiated by sabbatical officers at the Cambridge Students’ Union, urged the government to “take immediate action to remove the barriers currently preventing Gazan students from travelling to the UK and accessing the education opportunities they have rightfully earned.”
A spokesperson for the Oxford SU told Cherwell: “Students from Gaza have overcome unimaginable horrors to secure their places at UK universities, and it is our responsibility, as their (hopefully) eventual representatives, to ensure that they are able to realise those opportunities.”
In response to the evacuation plans, the SU spokesperson said that the “SU welcomes the government’s announcement”, adding that “this outcome underlines the importance of collective action” following the SU’s open letter.
The Home Office declined to comment.
