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Visas: Gaza

Asked by Chris LawScottish National PartyHome OfficeTabled Answered 5 September 2025UIN 69275

The question

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if her Department will waive biometric visa requirements for students in Gaza who are due to commence university programmes in the UK.

Answered by Seema Malhotra

The Home Office has put in place systems to issue expedited visas for all Chevening scholars from Gaza, with biometric checks conducted prior to arrival in the UK.

We are in the process of doing the same for a group of students in Gaza who have been awarded fully funded scholarships covering course fees and living costs at UK universities so they can start their studies in Autumn 2025. The Government is doing everything it can to support their safe exit and onward travel to the UK, while noting that the situation on the ground in Gaza makes this extremely challenging.

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