A PALESTINIAN student with a full scholarship to study in Scotland has warned that the UK Government must act within two weeks or he will “lose everything”.
Ibrahim Alghorane – who has been accepted to study software engineering at Glasgow University with all fees waived – is currently trapped in Gaza under Israeli occupation and is calling for UK Government help to escape the region.
On Tuesday, he believed his prayers had been answered after the BBC reported that Labour ministers had approved plans to bring 40 Palestinian students from Gaza to take up their places at British universities.
However, the Home Office had told the media of the decision before any of the Palestinians involved – and Ibrahim later tragically learned that he was not one of the 40 to be approved.
Speaking to The National from Gaza, he said: “There are now less than two weeks before my course begins in Glasgow. If we cannot travel this time, we will lose everything.
“Our scholarships cannot be deferred, our places cannot be postponed. These opportunities are once in a lifetime, and if they slip away, so does our future.
“Other governments such as France, Ireland, and Italy have already co-ordinated safe passage for their students. We ask: will the UK wait until we are dead under the rubble before acting?”
On Tuesday, a Home Office source claimed Home Secretary Yvette Cooper had “made it crystal clear to her officials that she wants no stone unturned in efforts to ensure there are arrangements in place to allow this cohort of talented students to take up their places at UK universities as soon as possible”.
A key hurdle in Home Office rules is the requirement for biometrics – fingerprints and a photograph – before Ibrahim can be granted a long-term UK visa. These are processed in visa application centres (VACs), but the one in Gaza closed down in late 2023 and has not reopened.
The 40 students whom the Home Office has approved to come to the UK from the Palestinian region are to be taken to a third country in the Middle East to complete the biometrics.
However, those that are still waiting for news worry they may never be allowed to fulfil the requirement.
Ibrahim said that while he is “grateful” that 40 Gazan students will get safe passage to the UK, the “reality is that the only barrier” left in the others’ journey is the biometrics. He said the best option would be to complete the requirement in a third country such as Egypt, as the approved 40 will do.
“Until a practical solution is implemented we remain trapped,” Ibrahim added.
“Of course, it was difficult to realise that I was not among the first 40 students included in the government’s evacuation plan. But at the same time, I felt a sense of relief and hope, because at last there is real movement and progress after so many months of waiting.
“Seeing that some of my fellow students are one step closer to safety and education gives me strength. It shows me that the tireless efforts of campaigners, journalists, and universities are working.
“I hold on to hope that no student will be left behind, because every one of us has fought so hard for this chance. But it also reminds me that we cannot stop now, we must continue pushing so that every student trapped in Gaza is given the same opportunity to study, to live, and to dream again.”
Ibrahim has lost his home and both parents amid Israel’s occupation of Gaza, which has seen more than 60,000 Palestinians killed since October 7, 2023.
He said that Glasgow University had done “everything” to help his application, and then gone even further.
“They literally supported me in every step,” he said. “The university exempted me from tuition fees, accommodation, living expenses, health insurance, and even flight costs. Everything. I honestly don’t know how I can ever thank them enough.
“They even went further by covering my visa application fees and the Immigration Health Surcharge directly on the visa application website. There are no words that can fully describe how generous and supportive they have been. Glasgow University is truly an extraordinary institution.”
The Home Office was approached for comment.
