Abtisam Mohamed Welcomes Gaza Students to Parliament After Months of Visa Delays
Labour MP Abtisam Mohamed has welcomed a group of Palestinian students from Gaza to the UK Parliament after they were finally able to reach Britain to begin their university studies, following months of disruption caused by the war and ongoing visa barriers.
Mohamed, the MP for Sheffield Central, said she was proud to host the students in Westminster, praising their determination in securing places at British universities despite the collapse of higher education in Gaza and the severe restrictions on travel.
Writing on social media, she described the meeting as a rare moment of optimism, highlighting what she called the students’ “extraordinary resilience” in the face of displacement, academic interruption and prolonged uncertainty.
Pressure on government over student visas
The visit comes after sustained pressure from Mohamed and other Labour MPs on the UK government to address the barriers preventing Palestinian students from taking up confirmed university places.
A major sticking point has been the requirement for in-person biometric visa appointments — a process that has been effectively impossible for Gaza residents since biometric centres closed in 2023. Campaigners and MPs have argued that the policy has left students in limbo despite holding offers, scholarships and sponsorship from UK institutions.
Mohamed has repeatedly raised the issue in Parliament, calling for temporary exemptions or alternative arrangements to ensure students are not locked out of education because of circumstances beyond their control. Speaking previously to Arab News, she said access to education should not become “another casualty of war and bureaucracy”.
A symbolic moment, but challenges remain
While a small number of students have now arrived in the UK, many others remain unable to leave Gaza or reunite with their families. Universities and advocacy groups warn that delays risk derailing academic careers entirely, particularly for students whose campuses and records have been destroyed.
Mohamed acknowledged that reality, noting that the presence of Gaza students in Parliament was both a practical step and a symbolic one — highlighting those who made it, while drawing attention to those who have not.
Education amid war
The reception takes place against a wider debate in Britain about how the country responds to civilians affected by the war in Gaza, including students, medical evacuees and families separated by closed borders.
While the government has yet to announce a formal visa waiver scheme for Gaza students, MPs continue to push for action, arguing that enabling education is a humanitarian measure rather than a political concession.
For Mohamed, the message was clear: academic opportunity should not be determined by war, geography or administrative dead ends.
Read More:
ShortURL ⬇
