St Andrews University: Scottish university calls for Home Office intervention to evacuate its students from Gaza
Two students have been offered places to study in Scotland - but currently cannot take up the places as they are trapped in a war zone.
A Scottish University is asking the Home Office to step in and evacuate two of their students who are trapped in Gaza.
St Andrews University has offered two Palestinian students places to study data science and software engineering at masters level - but both are currently unable to leave the war-torn region and travel to Scotland to take up their places.
Professor Brad MacKay, deputy principal at the university, wants to see the Home Office and Foreign Office work together with St Andrews University to evacuate these two students in time for the new term starting next month.
Speaking to BBC Good Morning Scotland, Professor MacKay said: “There are two things that need to happen - one is they need to get biometrics work done in order to get their visas, but the UK withdrew its biometric facility from Gaza some time ago.
“Then they need to be supported to be evacuated.
“So in effect we are asking the Home Office and the Foreign Office to work together both to defer the biometrics work for these visas until they can be evacuated to Jordan, and to support them to be evacuated.”
He said this should be possible as similar situations in Italy, France, Belgium and Ireland have been resolved and there is “some precedence” to deferring biometric work for visas until students are safely evacuated from Gaza.
Professor MacKay said: “We are in touch with the students, but communication is really sporadic. It is a challenging situation.
“We know they are very keen to be evacuated from Gaza so they can take up their spots at St Andrews, and then when the time is right contribute back to the region and to Palestine to rebuild it.”
He added these two students will be “unbelievably traumatised” when they arrive in St Andrews as they will have had family members, loved ones and friends killed in the ongoing Israel-Hamas war. He said support is already in place at the university “to help them work through that trauma”.
Professor MacKay added: “It is important to recognise these students are immensely capable and have met the qualifications and standards to study here.
“They will make an incredible contribution to our university and our community as well.”
Earlier this month First Minister John Swinney said he was “appalled” that students at Scottish universities were trapped in Gaza.
He said: “I am aware that other countries including France, Ireland and Italy have managed to successfully evacuate students, so the UK Government cannot simply duck its responsibilities here.
“Where there is a political will, a resolution can be found - and failure to act is quite literally putting these people’s lives at risk.”
Education Secretary Jenny Gilruth has also written to the UK Government asking for urgent action to evacuate these students.
Mr Swinney added: “I am clear that the international community must put a stop to Israel’s killing in Gaza and that we must see the immediate recognition of a sovereign, independent Palestine.
“But until that point, the UK Government must do everything it can to ensure ordinary Gazans are not punished further.
“Scotland looks forward to welcoming students from Gaza seeking to take their places at our universities - the UK Government must do the right thing and do everything in its powers to allow them to get here.”
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