Open Letter in Support of Gazan Students

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Accepting signatures - sign here

 

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

 

 

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