Swinney warns UK Government risking lives by failing dozens of Gazan students

The First Minster said the decision to only evacuate nine people was incomprehensible

John Swinney has warned Keir Starmer he is putting lives at risk after leaving students with places at Scottish unis stranded in Gaza.

The First Minister joined ­Scottish university chiefs and MPs in calling for urgent action to help students trapped in the war zone after the UK Government said it would evacuate just nine people with university scholarships.

The Sunday Mail revealed last week how one woman, Shaymaa, who has a fully funded PhD offer from Edinburgh University, is not among those being evacuated.

It comes after a UN agency declared a famine in Gaza and Israel confirmed its plans for a takeover of Gaza City.

About 10 students who have full scholarships to study in Scotland are among a group of 78 stuck in Gaza with no way of taking up their places due to visa problems.

To apply for a visa they must go through biometric screening but the processing centre in Gaza is shut and they can’t leave to visit centres in neighbouring countries.

Last week the UK Government announced it would be evacuating nine students who have Chevening scholarships but has given no update about the rest of the group.

Swinney said: “Failing to act continues to put these students’ lives in grave danger.

“The people of Gaza have already suffered too much and these students should not find themselves punished even further.

“The situation is urgent and made more so by the IPC [Integrated Food Security Phase Classification] finding that famine is present in Gaza.

“I’m pleased that the UK Government is using its powers to secure the evacuation of some of these students but it makes it even more difficult to understand why they aren’t acting for all of those impacted.

“Scotland is ready to welcome these students.”

Swinney said there was “no excuse” not to help the other students and pointed to countries, including France and Ireland, managing to help students in the same situation with places in their countries.

Shaymaa is desperate to take up her PhD place and there is a growing campaign to help her get to Scotland after the Sunday Mail revealed her plight.

She said: “I’m happy for the nine students but I don’t understand why can’t they do the same for all of us.”

Edinburgh University’s student chief Professor Colm Harmon said he was “deeply concerned” about the other students. He said: “Every day that passes increases the urgency of their situation, particularly for students with places at Scottish universities where the new academic year begins in just two weeks.

“Action is needed now so that all offer holders from Gaza may take up their studies here to best realise their potential and contribute to a better future.”

University of St Andrews deputy principal Professor Brad MacKay said he would “urge the UK ­Government to act swiftly and ­decisively” to help every scholarship student in Gaza.

Edinburgh West MP Christine Jardine has been lobbying the Home Office on behalf of students with places in the capital.

She said: “This is great news for these students but, if it’s possible for them, why not the others?

“Education is supposed to provide opportunities not just for individuals but for countries which can benefit from the skills, technology and relationship building which our universities can offer ­visitors.

“Surely there was never a better example of when our institutions could make a difference to a community fighting to survive and build a future. I’ll continue to press the Foreign Office to open our doors so our universities can support these students in rebuilding their communities.”

The UK Government did not comment on the remaining students they are not evacuating.

Famine has been confirmed in Gaza City by a UN-backed body responsible for monitoring food security.

The IPC has raised its classification to Phase 5, the worst level of its acute food insecurity scale.

It says famine is confirmed in the Gaza Governorate, which includes Gaza City and its surrounding area, with “catastrophic conditions” projected to expand to other areas by the end of September.

The agency has said more than 500,000 people in the Gaza Strip are facing “starvation, destitution and death”. The report states the famine is “entirely man-made” and it can be “halted and reversed”.

Israel says it “firmly rejects” the findings and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu branded the report an “outright lie”.

Amnesty International has warned Gaza City is edging towards “complete annihilation”.

Director Erika Guevara Rosas said: “Today’s official declaration of famine is a devastating confirmation of what humanitarian and human rights organisations, including Amnesty International, have been warning of for months.

“With every hour that passes without decisive international action, more Palestinian lives are lost and Gaza City edges closer to complete annihilation.”