Manar al-Houbi’s husband and children refused entry despite her winning a scholarship to cover tuition fees, living costs and housing for them all
A Gaza PhD student who won a fully funded scholarship to the University of Glasgow has spoken of her heartbreak at her family being denied entry to the UK.
In May, Manar al-Houbi received confirmation of her successful application. “It felt almost too good to be true,” she said. As well as her tuition fees, her scholarship from a charity, the Council for At Risk Academics (Cara), covers housing and living costs for her and all family members.
She completed visa applications for the family, but last month, just before her studies were due to start, she received an email from the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), saying that her family would not be allowed to travel with her.
As part of a UK crackdown on immigration, most international students are not allowed to bring their dependents with them. However, there are exceptions for full-time PhD students such as Houbi, whose scholarship and visa permit her to bring her family.
