The UK government has announced a major shift in its evacuation and visa policy for Palestinian students from Gaza, giving dependants allowance to allow eligible scholars to bring their partners and children to the UK as they take up fully-funded university places.
Some Palestinian students awarded scholarships at UK institutions will now be able to bring their spouses and children from Gaza under a case-by-case exemption, the government confirmed. The change covers students eligible under the visa rules for dependants – namely those pursuing research-degrees or holding government-backed scholarships such as the Chevening Scholarship. It comes after sustained lobbying from MPs and higher-education institutions.
Conditions and limitations explained
Under the updated guidance published on 27 October 2025, only students who: (a) hold fully-funded scholarships covering tuition and living costs, and (b) enrol on a course starting no later than 31 December 2025, will be considered. Dependants – defined as a partner/spouse or a child under 18 – must apply for a student dependant visa and demonstrate financial support of at least £7,605 in London or £6,120 elsewhere in the UK. The government emphasises that evacuation remains “complex and timeline uncertain” because of unstable exit routes from Gaza.
Impact on students and remaining challenges
Advocates welcomed the move but warned that the change currently helps only a handful of students. According to academic Dr Nora Parr, the policy still leaves around 25 master’s-level students without access to the new family allowance and forces them to decide between their studies and their families. One 26-year-old student with a funded health master’s place at the University of Oxford said he would refuse to travel unless his wife and three-month-old daughter were allowed to accompany him.
Evolving policy and war-zone context
The UK government previously committed to evacuating scholarship students from Gaza in light of the ongoing conflict, but insisted on strict adherence to visa rules that normally prevent dependants from accompanying international students on undergraduate or taught courses. The conflict in Gaza deepens the urgency: despite a cease-fire agreement, recent Israeli military strikes killed more than 100 people this week, including children, underscoring the unstable humanitarian environment many students and their families remain in.
Looking ahead – calls for broader discretion
Higher-education leaders and NGOs such as the Refugee Council argue that the “dependants allowance” policy should be expanded. They urge ministers to use discretionary powers more widely so that highly-qualified Palestinian professionals and scholars are not forced to abandon their families or delay their studies indefinitely.
