Overview

• The Home Office has authorized a workaround for Gaza-based applicants to give visa fingerprints and photos in a third country so they can begin UK courses in September.
• Ministers approved help for a further 30 students, adding to nine Chevening scholars cleared last week, with all 39 holding fully funded scholarships.
• Officials describe a complex operation that requires submitting names to Israeli authorities before travel to a nearby processing site, likely in Jordan, for biometrics.
• Campaigners welcomed the move but warned that more than 50 fully funded candidates may qualify and said students lack clear guidance on inclusion and next steps.
• Gaza’s UK-authorized biometric center has been shut since October 2023, prompting political pressure on ministers to create this route.