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Dear
Keir Starmer - Prime Minister of the United Kingdom,
Yvette Cooper - Secretary of State for the Home Department,
David Lammy - Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs,
Bridget Phillipson - Secretary of State for Education,
Hamish Falconer - Under-Secretary of State for the Middle East and North Africa,
Seema Malhotra - Under-Secretary of State for Migration and Citizenship,
We are writing to you with regards to over 70 students who have offers and scholarships to study at UK universities - including Cambridge, Oxford, Edinburgh, St Andrews, and Warwick - and are currently trapped in Gaza. These students are unable to travel to the UK due to the visa requirement of biometric data, which they have no way of obtaining due to the closure of the visa office in Gaza. Without government intervention, it will be impossible for these students to travel to the UK to commence their studies and uphold their scholarships.
As elected representatives of students across the country, we are hugely concerned about the treatment of our future members. These students have obtained extraordinarily competitive offers and demonstrated huge academic potential, only to be denied the ability to take up their places by a legal technicality entirely within your control. They have studied, written applications, taken English language tests, and attended online interviews, all while their fellow citizens are killed and their homes are levelled by the Israeli military. There is no opportunity for them to pursue university study in their home country, as there are no universities left in Gaza.
This situation is extremely time-sensitive. These students must be in the UK by September in order to begin their studies. Devastatingly, some students have already been killed while waiting for their visas to leave Gaza. Other countries - including Belgium, Germany, Ireland, and Italy - have already taken action to ensure Gazan students are able to leave Gaza and take up their university offers. It is imperative that the UK government align with this.
We implore the UK government to ensure students in Gaza are able to obtain visas and facilitate their travel to study in the UK. We make this request amidst increasing pressure from MPs, university officials, and trade unions for the same cause.
It is clear you must take action urgently, as a matter of life or death.
Yours faithfully,
Cambridge SU
Augustin Denis - President (PG)
Matthew Copeman - President (UG)
Jessica Asiedu-Kwatchey - Vice President (Education & Widening Participation)
Melanie Benedict - Vice President (Liberation & Welfare)
Olivia Ledger - Vice President (Student Community & Societies)
Edinburgh University Students’ Union
Ash Scholz - President
John Rappa - Vice President Activities and Services
Akrit Ghimire - Vice President Community
Katya Amott - Vice President Education
Syjil Ramjuthan - Vice President Welfare
Oxford SU
Shermar Pryce - President for Communities & Common Rooms
Wantoe Teah Wantoe - President for Postgraduates
Oluwaseun Blessing Sowunmi - President for Undergraduates
Alisa Brown - President for Welfare, Equity & Inclusion
University of St Andrews Students’ Association
Emily Bannister - President of Education
Alice Hodges - President of Union Affairs
Callum Robert Forbes Irvine - Postgraduate Research President
William Evans - Postgraduate Taught President
Warwick SU
Alijah Taha - President
James Varney - Vice President for Democracy & Development
Ananya Sreekumar - Vice President for Education
Maanya Raju - Vice President for Postgraduate
Adam Skrzymowski - Vice President for Societies
Ollie Chapman - Vice President for Welfare & Campaigns
Aberdeen University Students’ Union
Christina Schmid - Student President
Hannah Cowie - Vice President for Activities
Jonathan Dorrat - Vice President for Communities
Samuel Seymour - Vice President for Education
Karim Hurtig - Vice President for Welfare
Arts Students’ Union
Zaine Cowan - LCC Officer
Ellie Walsh-O'Neill - Student Communities Officer
ARU Students’ Union
Rohan Rajesh - President
Ramees Nazar - Activities and Opportunities Officer
Gawdham Melath - International and PGR Officer
Ashmin Kovathuparambil Shaju - Peterborough Campus Officer
Amelia Brewer - Writtle Campus Officer
Aston Students’ Union
Kushaf Sohail - President Union Development
Gagan Glosun Mopuri - President Wellbeing and Inclusion
Bath Spa University Students’ Union
Evie Trembath - Vice President Education
Poppy Laycock - Vice President Welfare and Community
Bishop Grosseteste Students’ Union
Stephan Bolton - President
Katy Core - LGBTQ+ Officer
Rehani De Hall - Progression Officer
Bolton SU
Saad Mehmoud - President
Bristol SU
Jessie Yeung - International Students Officer
Bucks Students’ Union
Joseph Burrell - Vice President Achievement and Belonging
Cardiff Students’ Union
Maria Pollard - President
Hanan Haliru - Vice President International Students (Education and Welfare)
Sean Strong - Vice President Postgraduate Students (Education and Welfare)
Molly Elliott - Vice President Sports and Athletic Union President
Chester Students’ Union
Lillian Watson - President
Luis Martell Correia - VP Education
William Gaines - VP Student Life
Christ Church Students’ Union
Emma Lawrence - President (Academic Life)
City St George’s Students’ Union
Nasir Mohammed - President
Anoshay Hasnat - Deputy President Community and Sport
Dundee University Students’ Association
Tánaiste Custance - President
Durham Students’ Union
Abigail Taylor - President
Fran Brandon-Higgs - Community Officer
Ellie Dinsdale - Education Officer
East London Students’ Union
Stuti Sah - Wellbeing Officer
Exeter Students’ Guild
Sebastian Racisz - President
Francis Steptoe - Education Officer
GCU Students’ Association
Eilidh Stewart - Vice President GSBS
Glasgow School of Art Students’ Association
Charli Runcie - Vice President Education
Greenwich Students’ Union
Muhammad Abdulmumin - President
Md Saif Mollah Chanchol - Officer
Hallam Students’ Union
Molly Pemberton - President
Shafaq Sajid - International Students’ Officer
Layla Barrett - Wellbeing, Sport and Physical Activity Officer
Heriot-Watt University Student Union
Cameron Fields - President
Holly McAdams - Vice President Academic
Lilja Piuli Alam - Vice President Student Communities
Huddersfield Students’ Union
Freya Askwith-Martin - President
Bethany Murphy - Activities Officer
Irfan Rashid Rather - Education Officer
Dobby Dhiya Rani Dey - Equity Officer
Hull University Students’ Union
Sam Bixby-Bland - President for Union Development
Institute of Cancer Research Students’ Association
Ashley Wong - President
KCLSU
Baiyu Liu - President
Dulcie Wainwright-Pilton - VP Activities & Development
Maryam Jamil - VP Education (Arts & Sciences)
Hasnain Jafer - VP Education (Health)
Sheeba Naaz - VP Postgraduate
Fatima Hire - VP Welfare & Community
Keele University Students’ Union
Sophie Borman - Development and Democracy Officer
Matthew Kemp - Education Officer
Kingston Students’ Union
Muhammad Hamza Haroon - President
Leeds Beckett SU
Faisal Alsammarraie - Postgraduate Officer
Islam Elserougi - Undergraduate Officer
Leeds University Union
Lydia Shale - Activities & Opportunities Officer
Shivani Gug - Education Officer
Safiyah Farid - Equality & Liberation Officer
Katrina Liu - International & Postgraduate Officer
Amara Relf - Union Affairs & Communications Officer
Eden Morris - Wellbeing Officer
Liverpool Guild of Students
Othman Ibrahim - President
Holly Thompson - Deputy President
Jitendra Inturi - Vice President
William Jones - Vice President
Liverpool Hope Students’ Union
Elisabeth Mill - President
Alex Toomath - Vice President Education
London Met SU
Nahid Binta Islam - VP Activities and Opportunities
LSE Students’ Union
Sachin Bhopal-Myers - Activities and Communities Officer
Nooralhoda Tillaih - Education Officer
Isabel Howe - Welfare and Liberation Officer
Middlesex University Students’ Union
Mohit Vyasam - President
Richa Khanchandani - Education Officer
National Union of Students
Amira Campbell - NUS UK President
Deio Owen - NUS Cymru President
Ben Friel - NUS-USI President
Alex Stanley - Vice President Higher Education
Saranya Thambirajah - Vice President Liberation and Equality
Newcastle University Students’ Union
Ilsa Hartley - President
Gina Tindale - Academic Officer
James Geary - Opportunities Officer
Libby Griffiths - Student Media Officer
Lily Allan - Wellbeing & Communities Officer
Northumbria Students’ Union
Ita McCrory - VP Education
Sai Vishwanth Reguri - VP Postgraduate
Queen Mary Students’ Union
Diya Selastin - President
Maria Rubbani - VP Barts & The London
Samarth Lakhanpal - VP Humanities & Social Sciences
Eshwinder Singh - VP Welfare
Queens’ Students’ Union
Amy Smith - President
Mórrigan McEvoy - Accessible Education Officer
Róisín Costelloe - Activities & Engagement Officer
Nadine Curtis - Postgraduate Education Officer
Eli McBriarty - Undergraduate Education Officer
Jack Lydon - Welfare & Community Officer
Reading Students’ Union
Elyn Thompson - Inclusion & Communities Officer
RGU Union
Mohtashim Iqbal E Waris - President of Education & Welfare
Roehampton Students’ Union
Joshua Kayode - President
Irene Reynolds - Vice President Education
Salford SU
Akinwale Bello - President
Ali Aziz Janjua - Business Officer
Hina Rehman Khalil - Science, Engineering and Environmental Science Officer
Sheffield Students’ Union
Daisy Watson - President
Sam Omondi - Education Officer
Kiara Delgado Derteano - International and Welfare Officer
South Bank Students’ Union
Rahi Alam - President
Southampton University Students’ Union
Emma Brown - President
Joshie Christian - VP Education
Toby Page - VP Inclusion
Travis Arthur - VP Sports
Strathclyde Students’ Union
Fraser Brown - President
Sussex Students’ Union
Lewis Wilson - Education and Employability Officer
Annie McEntee - Wellbeing Officer
The Students’ Union at UWE
Asad Zarif Awan - President
Khadiza Hossain - VP Education
Umar Abbasi - VP Societies and Communication
Anya Brentnall - VP Sports and Health
The Union MMU
Komal Ashfaq - President
UCA Students’ Union
Shayaike Hassan - President (Epsom)
UCB Guild of Students
Saroj Kumar Kamtee - Societies & Activities Officer
UCL Students’ Union
Anam Choudhary - President
Anastasija Boikova - Activities & Engagement Officer
Sarah Jilani - Education Officer
Eda Yildirimkaya - Equity & Inclusion Officer
Hana Mougharbel - Welfare & Community Officer
UCLan Students’ Union
Abigail Beaven - Union Representative
Avery Jozef Handzel Greatorex - Union Representative
Molly Martin - Union Representative
Tin Chak Yee - Union Representative
Ulster University Students’ Union
Emily Roberts - President
Amensinor Favour Okpohs - VP Belfast
Chris Murray - VP Coleraine
Rebekah Robinson - VP Education
Catherine Mailey - VP Equality and Belonging
Lee Doran - VP Magee
Caoimhín Heaney - VP Sport and Wellbeing
Undeb Aber, Aber Students' Union
Nanw Maelor Hampson - Swyddog Diwylliant Cymreig a Llywydd UMCA / Welsh Culture Officer & UMCA President
Undeb Bangor, Bangor Students’ Union
Md Hasibuzzaman Sarker - VP for Societies & Volunteering
University of Birmingham Guild of Students
Antonia Listrat - President
Jacob Dyke - Education Officer
Abby Kenrick - Welfare & Community Officer
Lucy McCabe - Women’s Officer
University of Buckingham Students’ Union
Kamva Gcaza - Vice President Student Voice
University of East Anglia Students’ Union
Chris Kershaw - Campaigns and Democracy Officer
University of Gloucestershire Students’ Union
Freya Rowley - Activities and Opportunities Officer
Bianca Holland - Education and Community Officer
Iffat Ara Jahan - Welfare and Diversity Officer
University of Manchester Students’ Union
Aaina Mohapatra - Activities & Culture Officer
Elliot Briffa - City & Community Officer
Rhianna Patel - Faculty of Biology, Medicine & Health Officer
Alec Severs - Faculty of Humanities Officer
Amrit Dhillon - Faculties of Science & Engineering Officer
Rachel Miller - Postgraduate Research Officer
University of Portsmouth Students’ Union
Blessing Okafor - Education Officer
Simbarashe Dube - Inclusion Officer
Charday Stone - Opportunities Officer
Verity Knight - Welfare Officer
University of South Wales Students’ Union
Md Irfanur Rahman Fahim - President
Rhodri Morris-Stiff - Activities Officer
A B M Rahat Mubassir - Education Officer
M Imam Hossain - Welfare Officer
University of Stirling Students’ Union
Justine Pédussel - Students’ Union President
Ellie Hammond - Vice President Communities
Adelayo Adebayo - Vice President Education
University of York Students’ Union
Aya Sarah Haidar - Academic Officer
Kaitlyn Beattie-Zarb - Activities Officer
Samuel Dickinson - Community & Wellbeing Officer
Abi Harrison - Equality and Inclusion Officer
Darcy Graham - Sports Officer
Lewis Parrey - Union Affairs Officer
Anna Lindberg - Union Development Officer
UWL SU
Sanaa Kazi - VP Activities & Participation
UWS Students’ Union
Shahan Nazir Rao - Vice President of Welfare & Wellbeing
UWTSD Students’ Union
Gwyneira Lilwyn Davies - Birmingham and London President
York St John Students’ Union
Efosa Iyekekpolor - President of Postgraduate Experience
Ann-Marie Mafura - President of Undergraduate Experience