Gaza PhD student ‘heartbroken’ as family blocked from entering the UK | Gaza
A PhD student from Gaza who won a fully-funded scholarship to the University of Glasgow has spoken of her family’s sadness at being refused entry to the UK.
In May, Manar al-Houbi received approval of its successful application. “It almost felt too good to be true,” he said. In addition to tuition fees, the scholarship he receives from the Council of Scholars at Risk (Cara), a charity, covers housing and living expenses for himself and all his family members.
He completed visa applications for his family but last month, just before the start of his studies, he received an email from the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) saying his family would not be allowed to travel with him.
As part of the UK’s crackdown on immigration, most international students are not allowed to bring dependents with them. However, Exceptions for full-time PhD students Like Houbi, whose scholarship and visa allowed him to bring his family.
When asked about Houbi’s case during a recent BBC interviewDeputy Prime Minister David Lammy said: “It’s important to understand that we are actually dependent on Israeli permission to get these people out, and that’s not easy to get.”
However, Israeli officials said they did not prevent Houbi from leaving Gaza.
“It should be clarified that Israel does not impose any limits on the number of residents leaving Gaza and is based solely on requests submitted by accepting countries,” said a spokesman for Cogat, the Israeli government ministry responsible for approving evacuations.
This news devastated Houbi. “It is heartbreaking that the UK government has not even bothered to make a claim on behalf of my family,” he said.
Houbi and his family now live in a tent in Khan Younis after their home in Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip, was destroyed by Israeli airstrikes early in the war.
Houbi’s PhD research will investigate how media and education can combat violence against women and promote peace. She said she hopes to return to Gaza after completing her doctorate to educate and empower women and develop programs that promote awareness and transformation.
Prof Alison Phipps, academic advisor at the University of Glasgow, said: “He is such an excellent candidate for the scholarship that he was able to choose the program that allowed him to bring dependents.” “No parent should be forced to choose education over family, especially when this is a strict criterion for a scholarship.”
Last month, the first group of university students from Gaza arrived in the UK following months of campaigning by politicians, academics and activists on behalf of Palestinian students receiving offers from UK universities.
Matt Foster, chief executive of Cara, which gave the scholarship to Houbi, said the charity was “ready and waiting to support this family and we call on the UK government to immediately support their release.”
Scottish Education Secretary Jenny Gilruth said she had requested an urgent meeting with the foreign secretary.
An FCDO spokesperson said: “The government is working with universities to identify eligible students and help them leave Gaza and begin their studies in the UK. This has been a hugely complex process, but we have already successfully evacuated a number of students and expect further groups to arrive in the coming weeks.”
