Swinney calls for 'urgent action' for students trapped in Gaza

The First Minister said he was “appalled” by the situation the students are facing. A total of 78 Palestinians have fully-funded places on courses in the UK, including 10 in Scotland, but are unable to leave due to visa processing problems.

They include Shaymaa, a 32-year-old who is hoping to begin her English Literature PhD at Edinburgh University in September.

“Education is the path to the future,” she told the Sunday Mail. “It is one of the few remaining pathways to survival and dignity for Palestinians right now. The UK has an opportunity to offer practical, life-saving solutions to students like me.”

Shaymaa, who is only using her first name for safety reasons, urged Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer to implement “an emergency route for students and researchers from Gaza, including biometric deferral and safe passage, so we are not excluded from opportunities we have rightfully earned”.

She added: “Coming to Scotland wouldn’t just allow me to continue my academic journey– which has been severely disrupted – but would also give me the chance to live and study in physical safety.”

Mr Swinney said: “I am appalled at the situation the students from Gaza are facing. We must see urgent action from the UK Government to support them in taking up their university places in Scotland.

“The people of Gaza are already suffering unimaginably at the hands of the Israeli government – the idea that these students could also be denied the chance to take up the university places in Scotland they have worked so hard to attain is not acceptable to me.

“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.

“The Education Secretary Jenny Gilruth has already written to the UK Government asking for urgent action to resolve this issue.

“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 power to allow them to get here.”

Scottish Liberal Democrat MP Christine Jardine has also been lobbying on the issue after being contacted by Edinburgh University.

A UK Government spokesperson said: “We are aware of these students and are actively considering how we can best support. Of course, the situation on the ground in Gaza makes this extremely challenging but we are doing everything we can to find a solution.”

The normal arrangements for non-British nationals requiring a visa are to make an online visa application and submit their biometrics at a Visa Application Centre (VAC), prior to travel to the UK.

The UK Government said biometrics are an essential part of the immigration process as they enable it to confirm the identity of the person and assess whether they pose a risk to public safety.

Where an applicant cannot travel to a VAC to enrol their biometrics, they can contact the UK Government to explain their circumstances, so it can consider all the options.