"‘I survived the Taliban to go to school – now the UK has blocked me from studying at Oxford’
Aisha Khurram has not seen her family in five years after she fled Afghanistan – now she won’t be able to fulfil her dream of studying at Oxford University due to new Home Office rules"
An Afghan human rights activist who was offered a place on a prestigious course at Oxford University has been blocked from entering the UK.
Aisha Khurram, a 27-year-old from Kabul, was awarded a rare place on a masters course in diplomatic studies at the university in May, just two months after the government implemented an “emergency brake” on visas for people coming from Afghanistan, Myanmar, Cameroon and Sudan.
She is one of 15 Afghan people offered places at the University of Oxford this academic year, freedom of information data shows, most of whom will be unable to start their studies after the Home Office reported a high number and proportion of visa-linked asylum claims are linked to the sponsored study route.
Ms Khurram told The Independent that after surviving the Taliban, separating from her family and having to retake her degree, she was heartbroken she couldn’t complete her education at one of the world’s most prestigious institutions not because of her ability – but because she’s Afghan.
“I think for me the most painful part was I actually crossed all the most difficult barriers. I survived [the] Taliban. I survived displacement. I had to rebuild my education and I had to get an offer from one of the most prestigious universities in the world."
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/taliban-oxford-offer-uk-government-afghan-b3039535.html
#students #uk #afghanistan #taliban
Puddha 😒
