Mother's anguish over Gaza scholarship visa rule

When Hayat's adult daughters persuaded her to leave her teenage daughter with them and flee the escalating conflict in Gaza in 2023, she believed they would be quickly reunited.

However, the 46-year-old, who was able to travel to the UK due to her second husband's British passport, has seen that situation turn into a "living nightmare".

She said despite her daughter Dania being offered a scholarship at a UK boarding school, she has been unable to take up the place, as her age meant she was not eligible for Foreign Office (FO) help.

The FO said its policy was to only aid those over 18 to get a visa out of Gaza, a policy which Dania said had left her "crushed".

Hayat, who has lived in Stretford, Greater Manchester for the last two years, said her daughters, Jody, Tala and Liania, had "begged" her to leave as they all believed it would to help the whole family escape.

She said she now regretted that decision.

"From the minute I left them, I can't feel human, I feel guilty," she said.

"I can't continue my life."

Dania, who has been living with her three elder sisters in Gaza, was offered a scholarship 18 months ago to study at Reddam House, an independent boarding school in Berkshire.

She said she was desperate to take up the offer.

"Every day I wake up to the hope I'll be in the UK, but I feel my hopes are crushed," she said.

"I try to rebuild them every day."

The teenager said education in Gaza had been "limited in every way" in the past two years and she had to "depend on myself and help from my sisters to study".

"I hope that soon they'll find a way to get me and my sisters out to her so we can rebuild our lives together," she added.

UK government policy means there is no help available to Dania due to her age.

Only university-age students on scholarships are currently given assistance to get visas to study in the UK.

Hayat said her daughter's case was further complicated by her need to leave Gaza to get a biometric visa at a British embassy in a neighbouring country such as Jordan or Egypt.

"It's like a vicious circle," she said.

"She can't get a UK visa because she can't leave Gaza.

"Dania must have her education. She wants to be something good in this life and I want her to make her dream come true."

Sondos, 26, is among a group of older students who has been able to travel from Gaza to study at UK universities.

She left her family and friends to take up a place on a creative writing masters degree course at Lancaster University and said leaving was a "mixture of relief and sadness".

"I'm grateful to have this chance to complete my education, but I carry so many memories of my family," she said.

She said she planned to return to Gaza after finishing her studies and use her education to help "rebuild our homes and society".

"It is sad that so many Gazans can't leave to carry on their education, which is a basic human right," she said.

James Harker from Comma Press, which has been supporting young students in Gaza, said he believed the age restriction on help was unjust.

"The cut-off for students under the age of 18 feels very unfair," he said.

"If they were international students from another country... they'd be able to come here on a scholarship.

"They're fully paid for, they're not taking any taxpayer money.

"We have a moral duty to support these students."

An FO spokesperson said it did not comment on individual cases but it was "working to assist eligible groups to leave Gaza and come to the UK."

"Our guidance sets out that students must be 18 years or over to be eligible for support."