- A recent incident at the University of South Wales (USW) has brought renewed scrutiny to the treatment of Palestinian students in the UK.
- The University of South Wales (USW) has apologised after a prospective Palestinian student’s application was initially denied.
The University of South Wales has apologised after a prospective Palestinian student’s application was initially denied.
The controversy began when the student, who has only been identified by her first name Haya, had been emailed from the university stating: “Regrettably, no applications from Palestine are being considered at this time, therefore, your application has been withdrawn.”
Haya’s screenshot of the email was shared on social media, sparking huge global criticism.
In response to the public backlash, the University of South Wales had apologised and called the email an “administrative error.”
A university spokesperson told The Electronic Intifada outlet that they do not have a policy of rejecting applications from Palestinian students.
The spokesperson explained that due to current visa processing timelines, the university can no longer accept applications for September 2025 entry from “many regions” and that Haya’s application had been “mistakenly processed” as a 2025 application when it was for 2026.
The university confirmed that her application has since been reinstated and that they have apologised to her directly.
The incident is the latest in a wave of challenges facing Palestinian students seeking to study abroad.
A joint statement from UK human rights organisations in August highlighted the difficulties for over 40 students from Gaza who have been awarded scholarships to UK universities but are unable to fulfil visa requirements due to the closure of the Visa Application Centre in Gaza and Israel’s’ blockade.
This situation, the groups argue, creates a “catch-22” that jeopardises the futures of these scholars.
This comes amid a broader debate in recent months about freedom of expression and alleged discrimination at universities in Europe and the US against Palestinian students.
Institutions in the US, UK and Sweden have also faced criticism and legal challenges for their handling of pro-Palestine activism on campus as well.
