SAVE THE STUDENTS

Swinney says Starmer putting lives at risk by leaving young scholars stranded in war

- BY HANNAH RODGER Political Editor

JOHN Swinney has warned Keir Starmer he is putting lives at risk after leaving students with places at Scottish universities 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.

They face a worsening situation after famine was declared in Gaza City by Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), a UN-backed body responsible for monitoring food security.

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