Students from Gaza face obstacles studying in the UK: Dozens stuck due to inability to provide biometric data

Many students from the Gaza Strip, despite having opportunities to study abroad, are unable to travel due to ongoing Israeli attacks and blockade. Omar Salah, an English teacher and Gaza resident who received a full scholarship for a master's program at Durham University in the UK, is one of them.

Salah said that to complete the visa process, he only needs to submit his biometric data (fingerprints), but the UK government has yet to take any effective measures to allow them to leave Gaza and complete this process.

He said, “The education system in Gaza has been completely destroyed. Studying abroad could open new pathways of hope for us. We people of Gaza are hardworking and talented—more than 40 students have received international scholarships but are stuck simply because they cannot provide biometric data.”

Many other countries have allowed Gaza students to complete visa procedures by arriving in nearby countries or have suspended the visa process so they can do so. Salah has called on the UK government to take similar initiatives.