Swinney backs Gaza woman's plea for Edinburgh University place

Student protest camp at Edinburgh University supporting Palestinian students from Gaza seeking educational opportunities (Illustrative image) (Photo by Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images) Getty Images

A Palestinian woman who fears for her life in Gaza has directly appealed to Keir Starmer to help her access a fully-funded PhD place at Edinburgh University. First Minister John Swinney has backed the 32-year-old's calls for the Prime Minister to open an emergency visa route, saying he is "appalled" students are being prevented from reaching safety in Scotland.

Shaymaa, who uses only her first name due to safety concerns, is one of 78 Palestinian students across the UK who have been offered fully-funded university places but cannot access them due to visa processing problems. Ten of these students have offers specifically in Scotland, all stranded in Gaza and unable to leave despite having worked hard to earn their places.

The students face an impossible bureaucratic catch-22: UK visa processing requires biometric checks where fingerprints and photos are recorded, but Gaza's processing centre is closed and all exit routes are blocked due to Israeli bombardment. This leaves them with no way to complete the mandatory checks, despite having secured their university places.

Urgent deadline pressure

Time is running out as university courses are due to start in just two weeks. Liberal Democrat MP Christine Jardine and Edinburgh University have been lobbying the UK Government for months over the issue, with Shaymaa still hoping to begin her English Literature PhD on September 1.

Swinney said: "I am appalled at the situation Shaymaa and other 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 First Minister emphasised that other countries including France, Ireland and Italy have successfully evacuated students, proving the UK Government "cannot simply duck its responsibilities here."

Around 80 MPs signed an open letter to Starmer earlier this month urging action for the affected students. Education Secretary Jenny Gilruth has also contacted the UK Government calling for urgency over the issue, with Scottish MPs including Brian Leishman, Pete Wishart and Wendy Chamberlain joining the calls for action.

Student's desperate plea

Speaking from Gaza, Shaymaa issued a direct appeal to the Prime Minister: "Education is the path to the future. 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."

She urged 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." For Shaymaa, the opportunity represents far more than academic advancement - it would literally save her life.

The chance to study in Edinburgh "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," she said. The PhD would help "build stronger academic bridges between Scotland, the UK, and Palestine" while allowing her to "carry the stories of Gaza into spaces where they urgently need to be heard."

Life in warzone conditions

Originally from Abasan al-Kabira, east of Khan Younis in southern Gaza, Shaymaa and her family were forced to flee when bombings started and have been displaced multiple times over the past 18 months. She now lives in a tent on a beach in al-Mawasi, Khan Younis, with 11 other people including her two sisters and their children.

Daily survival has become a constant struggle. "Most days are spent trying to secure food, charge devices at solar points when possible, and stay safe amid ongoing bombings," she said. "Now my face and hands are sunburnt and sweaty all the time. There's little access to basic resources like clean water and food."

Edinburgh West MP Jardine said she has written to the Foreign Office asking what they are doing to help the affected students. "Due process needs to happen but we should be doing everything in our power to make sure it's possible to get people out of a warzone," she said. A UK Government spokeswoman said: "We are aware of these students and are actively considering how we can best support."

Sources used: "Edinburgh Live", "Daily Record"

Note: This article has been edited with the help of Artificial Intelligence.