UK Foreign Office bans UK scholarship for Afghan students
Students from Afghanistan who were offered scholarships by the UK government to come to London to study next month have been informed that they will not accept their spots.
UK Scholarships for Afghanistan Students
The British Embassy in Kabul told 35 Afghan youths that they could not process their visas. They were selected from thousands of applicants for the prestigious scholarship.
Kabul’s director of research and policy, Dr. Nishank Motwani, stated that these are extraordinary times, and officials must find creative solutions. Chevening is a program that develops leaders for the future. They must live up to the promise they made. In years to come, when Afghanistan is rediscovered, who will be there to help them?
“It’s these people, the top minds of the country [who] must be saved. They will be needed in Afghanistan. These countries have invested so heavily in Afghanistan for the past 20 years. They will be required.”
The Chevening Scholarships allow promising students from around the globe to study for a master’s degree in the UK.
The Foreign Office stated that the Afghan situation meant that preparations for the British Embassy in Afghanistan would not be completed in the new year.
“Current circumstances make it impossible for the British Embassy in Kabul to administer the required parts of the program in Kabul to allow candidates to start their courses this year. We are sorry for this, and we understand that it will be a major disappointment for you.
This has caused outrage with Rory Stewart and David Lidington, former Conservative cabinet ministers, calling for Dominic Raab to intervene.
Two former Conservative cabinet ministers have criticized the decision.
Naimatullah Zfary, one of the scholarship students, said to the BBC that some students were crying and had panic attacks after meeting with UK Embassy staff to discuss deferral of their positions.
He said, “I can’t sleep.” “When we truly need it, you take it away.”
The British ambassador to Kabul, Sir Laurie Bristow, sent the students the information this month.
The letter stated that “after careful deliberation, Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office have with deep regret decided not to continue the Chevening program for Afghanistan in the academic year 2021-2022.”
A spokesperson for the Foreign Office stated that “current Afghan circumstances mean the embassy can’t administer the parts of this program which must be done at Kabul.” The Chevening program has been halted. All scholars from this year will be allowed to begin the course next year.
According to The Guardian, the Kabul components of the program that the Embassy cannot complete are travel administration and visa processing.
The students met with officials at the UK Embassy in Kabul on Thursday. Students offered alternatives to the final administration of their scholarships. They also suggested that their visas be processed in a third nation. The Embassy rejected these options.
