'I have a lifeline scholarship to study in Scotland - but I'm trapped in Gaza'
Shaimaa Abulebda used to have an ordinary life, which, like her old university and neighbourhood, is in ruins.
Shaimaa has been given the chance to reclaim some of her old life and continue her work in Scotland.
But the opportunity could be taken away over a refusal by the Home Office to issue her a visa until she submits biometric data, including professional photographs and fingerprints.
The UK-authorised biometrics registration centre in Gaza closed in October 2023, with travelling to other centres in neighbouring countries now impossible.
'Coming to Edinburgh has been a long-standing dream', Shaimaa told STV News on a video call from a displacement camp.
'It's not just an opportunity to continue my studies, it will also be a way to reclaim my future as a scholar and researcher.
'It's about a c ontinuation of my life's work and my life's research. I think of it as my opportunity to bring more attention to Palestinian literature.
'It would give me space, mentorship, and access to resources within the intellectual community in Edinburgh. It's what I need to grow as a writer, as a researcher, as a scholar. It would be a lifeline.'
Shaimaa is one of millions displaced by the conflict between Israel and Hamas since October 7, 2023 – around 90% of the population of Gaza.
The writer herself has been displaced 12 times and is now living in a tent on the beach that was once a refuge for her.
She describes the situation as 'unbearable,' with little to eat and no nourishment from any food given.
'On a typical day [before the conflict], I used to start with exercises and head to work as a lecturer at the Islamic University of Gaza', she explained. Getty Images
'Usually I taught two classes a day. After work, I used to tend to our garden, take an evening walk, prepare for my lectures, do some freelance content writing work. I used to spend my weekends at the beach.
'Now my life is overturned, everything has changed for me and my family.
'We have been displaced 12 times so far. I've watched my city and university getting bombed, and narrowly escaped being bombed. I've lost mentors, relatives.
'Being in constant displacement suspended my ability to think, be creative, to try and even speak coherently.
'Right now, I'm trying to reclaim my life back. I applied for PhD at Edinburgh, and I rewrote my PhD proposal. I had an interview with a potential supervisor one day before the war. I applied for a scholarship.
'This process gave me some hope, it gave me a sense of focus and being grounded, some agency to reclaim my life amid destruction and loss.
'It feels like I am building something and trying to work through something, something that matters, something that will outlast devastation and give meaning to survival for the life I had and the life I'm trying to rebuild.
'Conditions now remain very extremely difficult. I'm struggling to access clean water and food. Almost everything is unavailable or outrageously expensive.
'My daily routine has been completely upended. Living in a tent is unbearable in both summer and winter, and I've lived through both.'
As she waits for news on continuing her work in Scotland, Shaimaa is striving to stay focused by reading, writing, and documenting as much of her experience as she can.
She is also working on translating a Palestinian novel from Arabic to English.
'I'm not sitting around waiting for things to change', she added. Getty Images
'Even though I am displaced, we have been living through this war for almost two years. I am still trying to read, write, and document everything.
'Through these pieces, I have documented my trauma and the collective trauma of displaced Palestinians.
'I am trying to challenge dominant narratives, trying to preserve our culture and the memory of Palestinians'
The University of Edinburgh believes Shaimaa and others like her will make an 'invaluable' contribution to the institution.
Colm Harmon, vice principal students, said: 'We have been actively exploring ways in which the biometric requirement of the visa could be deferred until a student has left Gaza and has reached another country, such as Egypt or Jordan.
'We don't yet know if this will be possible, but we are hoping that restrictions can be adapted to allow this to happen. If they are, it will greatly benefit students like Shaimaa, one of a number of exceptional scholars in Gaza that we hope to welcome to our campus very soon.
'In addition to her own exciting research in the department of English literature, she will play a central role in developing public literary educational activities in Edinburgh and Palestine. She will also be helping to publish two collections of new Palestinian writing that will have a global impact.
'We are excited for the invaluable contribution that she will make to our university and to the wider literary community, but more fundamentally, education is key to how Gaza emerges from conflict, and scholars like Shaimaa are the future foundations of that.
'We are proud to support her and her peers, as part of a strong effort from UK higher education.'
Campaigners and local MPs have called on the UK Government to do the same as other countries and let Gazans travel to a safe country to finish their visa applications.
The University and College Union (UCU), which represents 125,000 education workers, has called for government intervention.
In a letter to Yvette Cooper, UCU general secretary Jo Grady urged the home secretary to 'expedite the process and ensure all these young Palestinians make it to our seminar rooms and lecture halls for the start of the academic year.'
As the wait continues for Shaimaa and dozens like her, the fear of the opportunity slipping away grows with the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
More than 59,000 Palestinians have been killed, according to Gaza's Health Ministry. More than half of the dead are women and children.
Over 100 charity and human rights groups have said that Israel's blockade and military offensive are pushing Palestinians in the Gaza Strip towards starvation.
Meanwhile, experts say Gaza is at risk of famine because of Israel's blockade and the offensive launched in response to Hamas's attack on October 7.
Gaza's Health Ministry said 48 Palestinians have died of malnutrition in the past month, adding that 59 Palestinians died of malnutrition so far in 2025, up from 50 in 2024, and four in 2023 when Israel started its war against Hamas.
'Each day feels like a delay, and waiting is really hard on me', Shaimaa adds.
'It feels like the war continues to shape my life, to snatch things that have been longstanding for me. I know that such processes take time. I live in constant fear of another loss, another missile, losing an opportunity that I have worked for for so many years.
'It feels like I have lost the agency I reclaimed in the process of applying, the focus that I had.
'Now I'm just waiting, with nothing left for me to do or achieve.
'I am trying to remain confident that the government will try to find a way and that I will lawfully get my visa and get to campus safely.'
STV News approached the Foreign Office for a statement, but did not receive a response.
Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News
Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Guardian
5 minutes ago
- The Guardian
The Guardian view on the legacies of slavery: the response to Edinburgh's report must go beyond academia
The British campaign against slavery and the slave trade has long been recognised as an inspiration for later social movements. But for centuries, the brutality inflicted on the millions of African people who were bought and sold into chattel slavery in British colonies was either veiled from view or treated as a sin that was expunged when it was abolished. New research from the University of Edinburgh, about its history of involvement in slavery and the slave trade, is part of a belated reckoning by UK institutions with this disturbing aspect of their past. Another Scottish university, Glasgow, was among the first to embark on such a process. In response to evidence about substantial gifts from plantation owners and slave traders, it partnered with the University of the West Indies on a reparative justice programme in 2019. Edinburgh's report highlights a minimum of £30m in funds raised, over the years, from numerous donors with links to slavery, and points to the university's historic role as a 'haven' for racist thinkers, some of them prominent advocates of the pseudoscience of phrenology. It also criticises the university for being less active in the abolitionist movement than others. Recommendations, to which the university is weighing its response, include the establishment of a new racism and colonialism study centre, the renaming of buildings, and efforts to diversify the university's staff and student body, with a particular focus on the low number of Black students and academics. But as well as new policies and financial decisions such as the creation of new scholarships or a summer school, the research demands a reaction beyond the institution itself. The University of Edinburgh has a prominent role in the life of the Scottish capital, with Gordon Brown and John Swinney among its alumni. Steps to address injustices within academia, which are part of the legacy of slavery, are important. But the point of such investigations goes beyond this. As well as prompting internal changes, the report should promote stronger public understanding of the ways in which present-day unfairness is rooted in the abusive practices and ideologies of the past. For too long, the myriad ways in which our modern world was shaped by grossly unequal colonial-era relations were glossed over as historians focused on other topics – often those which showed Britain in a favourable light. But the truth is that traces of the exploitative dynamics of previous centuries are all around us: in our global financial system; in the landscapes and built environments of former imperial powers and the countries they colonised; in museum collections; and in the histories of organisations such as the Guardian, which examined its own links to slavery in the Cotton Capital project. Institutions with centuries of power and influence behind them, and endowments of obscure provenance, have a responsibility to be open that some have started to recognise. Universities such as Edinburgh cannot, in good conscience, continue to trade on past achievements unless they are also honest about the parts of their past that provoke anger and regret. But reflecting on historical events, while necessary, is not sufficient. As this report makes clear, the challenge for organisations that benefited directly from slavery, and colonial-era exploitation more broadly, is to ensure that their actions in the present are guided by awareness of the past.
Daily Record
7 minutes ago
- Daily Record
Donald Trump says he 'wants to see Scotland thrive' during visit
The US President – whose mother was born in the Outer Hebrides – spoke of his 'love' for the country during a visit to his golf course in Ayrshire. Donald Trump has said he wants to see Scotland 'thrive' during his visit to the country. The US President – whose mother was born in the Outer Hebrides – spoke of his 'love' for the country during a visit to his golf course in Ayrshire. Flanked by Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, the 79-year-old was asked if changes could be made to the UK-US trade deal, which would benefit Scotland. He said: 'I have great love for Scotland.' Speaking of his mother, the President said she would 'religiously' return home every year. He jokingly added: 'When we do our trade deal, a lot of it comes to Scotland, maybe all of it should go to Scotland.' He continued: 'We deal with the UK, but a lot of it comes to Scotland. I was very particular, because this is a part of the world I want to see thrive.' Despite the trade deal agreed between the two countries, a 10% tariff remains on Scotch whisky, one of the country's biggest exports. Asked earlier if that tariff could be dropped or eliminated as a result of the meeting with the Prime Minister, Mr Trump said: 'We'll talk about that, I didn't know whisky was a problem. I'm not a big whisky drinker, but maybe I should be.' Scottish First Minister John Swinney is expected to raise the issue when he meets the President during his visit to his second course in Aberdeenshire before he returns to the US. Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. 'Tariffs are very important for the Scottish economy and obviously Scotch whisky is a unique product,' he told BBC Breakfast on Monday. 'It can only be produced in Scotland. It's not a product that can be produced in any other part of the world. So there's a uniqueness about that, which I think means there is a case for it to be taken out of the tariffs arrangement that is now in place. 'Obviously, the trade deal with the United States provides a degree of stability for economic connections with the United States, but the application of tariffs is increasing the costs for the Scotch whisky industry. 'So one of my objectives will be to make the case to President Trump that Scotch whisky should be exempted from those tariffs.
Reuters
7 minutes ago
- Reuters
Trump eyes 'world tariff' of 15-20% for most countries
TURNBERRY, Scotland, July 28 (Reuters) - President Donald Trump said on Monday most trading partners that do not negotiate separate trade deals would soon face tariffs of 15% to 20% on their exports to the United States, well above the broad 10% tariff he imposed in April. Trump told reporters his administration will notify some 200 countries soon of their new "world tariff" rate. "I would say it'll be somewhere in the 15 to 20% range," Trump told reporters, sitting alongside British Prime Minister Keir Starmer at his luxury golf resort in Turnberry, Scotland. "Probably one of those two numbers." Trump, who has vowed to end decades of U.S. trade deficits by imposing tariffs on nearly all trading partners, has already announced higher rates of up to 50% on some countries, including Brazil, starting on Friday. The announcements have spurred feverish negotiations by a host of countries seeking lower tariff rates, including India, Pakistan, Canada, and Thailand, among others. The U.S. president on Sunday clinched a huge trade deal with the European Union that includes a 15% tariff on most EU goods, $600 billion of investments in the U.S. by European firms, and $750 billion in energy purchases over the next three years. That followed a $550-billion deal with Japan last week and smaller agreements with Britain, Indonesia, and Vietnam. Other talks are ongoing, including with India, but prospects have dimmed for many more agreements before Friday, Trump's deadline for deals before higher rates take effect. Trump has repeatedly said he favors straightforward tariff rates over complex negotiations. "We're going to be setting a tariff for essentially, the rest of the world," he said again on Monday. "And that's what they're going to pay if they want to do business in the United States. Because you can't sit down and make 200 deals." Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said on Monday trade talks with the U.S. were at an intense phase, conceding that his country was still hoping to walk away with a tariff rate below the 35% announced by Trump on some Canadian imports. Carney conceded this month that Canada - which sends 75% of its exports to the United States - would likely have to accept some tariffs.
