THE UK Government has confirmed renewed support for students from Gaza on fully funded scholarships to study at UK universities.
Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper also confirmed the resumption of UK-supported medical evacuations of critically ill and injured children and their immediate families from Gaza.
It comes after much pressure from the Scottish Government and campaigners, who welcomed the move but added that the numbers are “vanishingly small” in the larger context of the genocide.
Alison Phipps – a professor at Glasgow University and Unesco chair for Refugee Integration – has been involved in the campaign.
We previously reported last September on the first students arriving from Gaza to take up their university scholarships in Scotland.
Phipps said it is a “vital” step, but then added: “It is no remedy for the urgent sanctions the UK Government needs to impose to discharge its obligations to prevent the continuing genocide”.
She went on: “Some details on UK Government funding for this are also unclear but I hope that dependants and also eligible academics at risk with mobility awards can also be included from the outset.
“The UN Special Commission reported yesterday again that there is a continuing genocide against the Palestinian people in Gaza. An evacuation scheme for highly talented students is small but vital step towards societal reconstruction but it is no remedy for the urgent sanctions the UK Government needs to impose to discharge its obligations to prevent the continuing genocide.”
A statement from Cooper on Wednesday announced the news.
“The UK Government will continue to prioritise students who hold fully funded and verifiable scholarships, and who meet the requirements of the immigration rules,” it read.
“This targeted approach ensures that students supported will have the financial means to study and live in the UK. Eligible dependants will be supported in line with the immigration rules.
“This also includes eligible Chevening scholars, who will be supported to take up their places at UK universities where possible, recognising their leadership potential and the important role they can play in the future of Palestinian society.”
The statement went on: “The UK Government will work closely with devolved governments, universities, international partners and relevant authorities to facilitate departures and onward travel. However, departures from Gaza remain highly complex and dependent on factors outside the UK Government’s control. As such, travel and timelines cannot be guaranteed.
“All individuals travelling to the UK under this route will be subject to robust security and immigration checks, including the provision of biometric data prior to travel.”
On the topic of medical evacuations, the statement added: “The UK Government has also confirmed the resumption of UK-supported medical evacuations of critically ill and injured children and their immediate families from Gaza, following a pause due to the regional conflict.
“In 2025, a cross-Government effort supported the evacuation of 50 children, alongside their immediate family members, to receive specialist treatment in NHS hospitals across the United Kingdom. Building on this, the Government will now facilitate further evacuations for those identified as in need of urgent medical care.”
