Sudanese scientists who have been promised research positions at leading UK universities have spoken of their “shock” and “sadness” that their hopes have been dashed following Shabana Mahmood’s decision to end study visas for people from her country.
More than 200 Sudanese university and postgraduate students fear they will no longer be allowed to take places at 46 universities, including Oxford, Cambridge and Imperial College London, with some claiming their lives have been shattered by the Home Secretary’s “forceful” intervention.
On Wednesday, Mahmood suspended student visas for applicants from Afghanistan, Cameroon, Myanmar and Sudan, saying he was “taking the unprecedented decision to reject visas for those nationals who seek to exploit our largesse.”
“Applications (for asylum) from students from Cameroon and Sudan have increased by more than 330%, posing an unsustainable threat to the UK asylum system,” a Home Office statement said.
Home Ministry sources said visa applications received from students in the four countries will be processed as usual until March 26. However, it is “extremely unlikely” that they will also be able to obtain a valid “confirmation of acceptance for studies” before the deadline.
Opponents say the government’s claims about visa exploitation are a distortion, given that only 120 Sudanese students applied for asylum in the year to September, out of a total of more than 110,000 asylum applications.
Wijdan Abdallah Salman Ahmed, a 38-year-old molecular biologist living in Sudan, had been offered a place to study for a master’s degree in regenerative medicine at Queen Mary University of London and was being considered for a Chevening scholarship before Mahmood’s policy change.
“When the war started in Sudan, my family and I were displaced to my grandfather’s house in a village near Shendi, in Nile River state,” he said.
“The situation became even more difficult when the Rapid Support Forces attacks caused our family to lose almost everything we owned, including my laptop.”
Finding out that the opportunity had been lost due to a change in UK government policy was “a huge shock”, he said.
“After everything it took to get to that point — displacement, loss of our possessions, and the long struggle simply to stay connected — it felt like years of effort had suddenly collapsed because of a decision completely out of my control,” he said.
Ahmed said there was no way he would have applied for asylum if he had been allowed to study in the UK.
“As an applicant for the Chevening Scholarship, I formally accepted the program’s mandatory condition that scholarship recipients must return to their home country for at least two years.
“(Sudanese students) are not seeking asylum or permanent settlement. Most of us will gain knowledge, skills and connections that will help us rebuild and strengthen Sudan,” he said.
Sudanese students have launched a campaign to pressure the UK government to abandon its plans. So far, they have identified 210 students from Sudan – 23 of whom are university students – whose offers from 46 UK universities are now in doubt following Mahmood’s intervention.
Mohamed Hisham Alamin, a doctor, was accepted to study a master’s degree in translational health sciences at the University of Oxford from October, but understands he will no longer be able to study in the UK under new visa rules.
“My colleagues and I, who have been serving on the frontline of the conflict in Sudan, were preparing to bring our expertise to Oxford to contribute to global health research,” he said.
He questioned why the government should penalize all Sudanese students.
“A blanket ban is a blunt and counterproductive instrument,” he said.
The Chevening scholarship program for applicants from Afghanistan, Cameroon, Myanmar and Sudan has been closed indefinitely, according to the website.
Sudan, Cameroon and Myanmar are in the midst of armed conflicts, while Afghanistan has faced a worsening humanitarian crisis since the Taliban takeover in August 2021.
The National Union of Students has written a letter to the Home Secretary urging her to reconsider and lift the ban.
An Oxford University spokesperson said the ban was of “serious concern” for many students.
“The university is working hard to clarify what the changes mean,” he said.
A government spokesperson said: “Study routes are being widely abused, creating a back door to seeking asylum in this country. That is why we are taking unprecedented steps to suspend routes from four countries.
“We cannot allow exceptions in the study of routes to avoid further abuses in our immigration system.
“This does not detract from the UK’s strong commitment to ending the conflict and supporting the people of Sudan.”
