Gaza PhD Student Manar al-Houbi Granted Access to UK but Others Remain Stranded
Manar al-Houbi and her family have reached Jordan and are set to travel to the UK, becoming the only Gaza family evacuated together under the current evacuation scheme. Initially, Manar was denied entry despite holding a fully funded PhD scholarship at the University of Glasgow. Subsequently, the government reversed its policy, allowing the evacuation of dependants on a case-by-case basis.
The Gaza evacuation scheme, which runs until 31 December 2025, has been marked by delays, poor communication, and uncertainty. Many students remain in Gaza or have been evacuated without their families. For example, Wahhaj Muhammad, a PhD student in Glasgow, remains separated from his wife and two children without a clear timeline or assurances regarding their evacuation.
Amany Shaher, a mother of three studying at the University of Bristol, has expressed concerns that she may not join her program if her children cannot accompany her, fearing she could lose her place. There are also unresolved questions about the extension of the evacuation scheme.
Mohammed Aldalou, a scholar at the London School of Economics, refuses to leave Gaza without his family despite Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) advice to consider leaving alone; he has a five-year-old autistic son.
A closed meeting between the Department for Education and universities addressed possibilities such as online study for affected students and discussed a potential extension of the evacuation scheme; however, sources indicate that an extension is unlikely without approval from the Home Office.
The challenging conditions in Gaza—marked by floods, food shortages, and disease—further complicate the efforts of students and their families to coordinate evacuations under the scheme.
