Gaza student raises £7k to attend Glasgow University, but can’t due to border restrictions

A young man in Gaza has secured more than £7,000 to study at a leading Scottish university, yet remains stranded, uncertain whether he will ever reach the lecture halls that now feel impossibly distant.

Qusay Al-Reqeb, 20, was once known for academic excellence. Before war tore through his city, he ranked among the highest-achieving pupils in his class. He completed high school in July 2023 with an average of 97.4 per cent. Then the conflict between Israel and Hamas engulfed Gaza, destroying his home and dismantling the future he had carefully built. His family was displaced. Food became scarce. Survival replaced ambition.

According to The Daily Record, Qusay has been living under a plastic sheet on the Gaza shoreline for the past nine months. He, his parents, four brothers and four sisters endure what he describes as “dire conditions,” worsened by poor sanitation and the aftermath of sustained bombardment. The tent he now occupies is built for two people. He calls it a miracle that they are still alive.

via Unsplash

Amid famine, fear and repeated displacement, he continued to pursue his education. After two and a half years of trying to advance his studies under siege, he was offered a place to study computer science at the University of Glasgow. A friend helped him cover the £30 application fee. Students from Glasgow and University of St Andrews organised a crowdfunding campaign on his behalf, raising more than £7,000 within weeks to support his move and help him begin rebuilding his life in Scotland.

Yet the path out of Gaza remains uncertain. The Rafah crossing into Egypt, the primary exit point for Palestinian civilians, reopened earlier this month after being closed for an extended period. Qusay said he had “waited for this moment for two years.” Despite the reopening, departures have been severely restricted. He reports that Israeli authorities are currently permitting only medical evacuations, at a rate of approximately 30 patients per day. Students, he says, are not being allowed to leave.

Data from the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs indicates that 260 patients exited Gaza in the two and a half weeks following the reopening. According to information shared with Al Jazeera, this figure represents only a small portion of the roughly 18,500 individuals in urgent need of evacuation.

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Qusay fears that if restrictions persist, he will miss the September start date for his course. Although the crowdfunding effort has eased part of the financial burden, he still faces significant tuition costs and is seeking sponsorship from an organisation that might also assist with facilitating his departure. He has suggested that support from such a body could potentially enable evacuation through the Kerem Ben Salem crossing.

The broader conflict continues to exact a severe human toll. Israel’s military campaign and ground operations in Gaza are believed to have resulted in more than 67,000 Palestinian deaths over the past two years. The offensive followed the October 2023 cross-border attack by Hamas, in which approximately 1,200 people were killed and hundreds taken hostage.

Glasgow University said it is committed to helping “anyone from anywhere in the world with the drive, determination and desire to pursue a degree is empowered to do so.”

For Qusay, that principle now hinges not on grades or determination, but on whether he can cross a border in time.

The Israeli Embassy has been contacted for comment.

Featured image via Unsplash