'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.
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