“I remain trapped,” Gaza student urges UK to waive biometrics

More than 80 Palestinian students from Gaza with offers at UK universities remain unable to travel because the UK requires biometric visa checks (fingerprints and a photo) that they cannot complete. MPs are urging a temporary waiver or delay.

They face closed borders, an inactive biometric centre, and war. Courses start in September 2025, but visas stall without fingerprints and photos submitted in advance.

What’s happening now

• More than 80 Palestinian students accepted by UK universities cannot travel to enrol.
• The UK requires a biometric visa process: fingerprints and a photo are taken before a visa decision.
• Gaza’s only visa application point closed in October 2023, so students cannot give biometrics locally.
• Ongoing siege and border closures block safe exit to Egypt or Jordan to finish checks.
• The humanitarian crisis is severe, with over 61,000 deaths since October 2023, compounding risk.

Official guidance on the Student visa explains the biometric step and security checks. See the UK government page at https://www.gov.uk/student-visa.

Political pressure and university support

• More than 100 MPs from several parties, led by Labour MPs Abtisam Mohamed and Barry Gardiner, have written to Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Home Secretary Yvette Cooper.
  • They ask the government to delay or temporarily waive biometrics for these students until they can safely travel to a centre in Egypt or Jordan.
  • The letter says the students “represent the future of Palestine” and that a short deferral would keep their places and scholarships alive.
• Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp argues against any deferral, saying biometric checks are essential for UK security.
• University leaders, including at Oxford and Cambridge, along with student unions, have urged ministers to remove barriers and let students reach campuses.
  • Oxford points to scholarships set up for those affected by the crisis.
• Analysis by VisaVerge.com shows several European countries (France, Ireland, Italy) have helped Gazan students with safe passage or flexible entry. Advocates say the UK response lags behind these examples.

Why biometrics matter — and why students can’t comply

Biometric checks verify identity and run background and security checks. They are a standard part of UK visa decisions.

Normally:

1. An applicant books an appointment at a visa application centre.
2. They submit fingerprints and a photo.
3. Caseworkers run checks and then issue a decision.

For Gaza students, this is not possible:

• The Gaza centre closed in October 2023 due to the war.
• Travel to neighbouring countries is blocked or unsafe.
• Without biometrics, caseworkers cannot issue visas.
• Students with confirmed offers, fees paid, or scholarships in hand still receive no entry clearance.

Human stakes

Gaza faces famine conditions, constant bombardment, and mass internal displacement. Many students study by candlelight, worry about family safety, and try to keep documents intact.

“I remain trapped,” one student wrote in a plea to UK officials, describing missed lectures and fear of losing a hard-won future.

Consequences include:

• Missed start dates that mean lost housing, expired offers, and vanished scholarships.
• Deferrals that can push degrees back a year or more.
• Families who saved for tuition risk losing deposits.

Comparisons and precedent

• Biometric requirements are the norm, but the UK has used workarounds in rare cases.
  • In 2022, some Ukrainians fleeing Russia received temporary concessions allowing travel while finishing checks later.
  • In 2021, Afghans fleeing the Taliban saw far fewer biometric waivers, with only limited judicial exceptions.
• Advocates note students are a defined, low-risk group who have passed academic vetting.
  • They propose a narrow, time-limited deferral: let students travel on controlled entry, then complete biometrics and full checks at the first available safe location.

What students and universities can do now

Practical steps are limited until policy changes, but the following can help:

• Ask admissions teams for written deferrals that keep scholarships and fee conditions.
• Request remote academic access (reading lists, recorded lectures) to stay on track.
• Keep all documents safe:
  • Offer letters
  • Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS)
  • Proofs of funding
  • Passports
• Send regular updates to international offices about location, contact details, and any changes to risk.
• Coordinate advocacy through student unions and alumni networks to reach MPs and media.
• Monitor the official Student visa page for policy updates: https://www.gov.uk/student-visa.
• If you can safely reach Egypt or Jordan, check appointment availability first; do not risk travel without a confirmed route and support.

What the government could do — quickly

Policy options under discussion include:

• Issue a narrow, time-limited waiver or deferral for biometrics for this cohort only.
• Authorize temporary entry permission for named students, with strict reporting and in-country biometric completion.
• Arrange escorted safe passage to a working visa centre in Egypt or Jordan.
• Coordinate with universities to verify identities and maintain oversight until full checks are completed.

Officials stress security needs. Advocates respond that students can be tracked, registered on arrival, and required to complete checks within days.

Legal and parliamentary paths

• MPs and university groups plan further pressure through debates, questions, and committee hearings.
• Lawyers are exploring whether the policy is irrational given the impossibility of compliance inside Gaza.
• Courts have forced tailored solutions in past crises, but outcomes are uncertain.

As of August 11, 2025, ministers have not announced a decision.

A day-in-the-life example

Consider a student with a master’s offer for September:

1. She emails her department to keep her place.
2. She stores her CAS on a flash drive and prints copies.
3. Power cuts make it hard to read materials, but she keeps studying.
4. Each week, she checks appointment systems in Cairo and Amman, but crossings stay closed.
5. Without a biometric visa record, her online application sits untouched.
6. After weeks, the university grants a deferral, but the scholarship is at risk unless she registers by October.

Her future hangs on a policy call in London she cannot control.

The bottom line

• Students: Keep documents safe, seek written deferrals, and stay in close touch with your international office.
• Universities: Offer flexible start windows, freeze scholarships, and provide remote access where possible.
• Government: A targeted, temporary biometric deferral would protect both security and the right to study.

For now, Gaza students wait, degrees on hold.