​Grace Da Costa challenges the government's new asylum reforms, and shares some actions we can take to call for a more inclusive and humane asylum system.

<article data-history-node-id="432011" about="https://www.middleeasteye.net/live-blog/live-blog-update/uk-visa-rules-leave-palestinian-scholars-limbo-and-their-children" class="live-blog-update default clearfix"> <h2> <a href="https://www.middleeasteye.net/live-blog/live-blog-update/uk-visa-rules-leave-palestinian-scholars-limbo-and-their-children" rel="bookmark"> <span class="field field-title">UK visa rules leave Palestinian scholars in limbo and their children stranded in Gaza</span> </a> </h2> <div class="content"> <div class="field field-field-text"><p>Faten Sweedan remembers celebrating her 28th birthday in October 2023, the day before the Hamas-led attack on&nbsp;<a href="https://www.middleeasteye.net/countries/israel" target="_blank">Israel&nbsp;</a>and the start of Israel's ongoing&nbsp;<a href="https://www.middleeasteye.net/topics/israel-genocide-gaza" target="_blank">war on Gaza</a>.</p> <p>She was born on 7 October, a date now forever associated with the start of the Gaza&nbsp;<a href="https://www.middleeasteye.net/topics/israel-genocide-gaza" target="_blank">genocide</a>.</p> <p>“It was a special birthday, on the Friday," she told Middle East Eye. "I ate bowls of chocolate, I ate ice cream, iced sweet drinks, I ate lamb barbecue and also barbecued chicken. And stuffed vine leaves… it was a beautiful day.”</p> <p>The Unrwa school teacher, now in the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.middleeasteye.net/countries/uk" target="_blank">UK&nbsp;</a>on a scholarship, smiles as she remembers this special occasion, the day before the war and her family’s displacement began.&nbsp;</p> <p>“The first street to be bombed [by Israel] was our street… We were displaced from the very first day,” she said.</p> <h3>Read more: <a href="https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/gaza-teacher-studying-uk-while-kids-are-trapped-gaza-unable-join-her">UK visa rules leave Palestinian scholars in limbo and their children stranded in Gaza</a></h3> <figure role="group" class="media-block"> <div class="group-inner"> <div alt="The teacher from Gaza is studying international education at Sussex University, and trying to bring her children out of Gaza (Joe Gill)" data-embed-button="file_browser" data-entity-embed-display="image:image" data-entity-embed-display-settings="{" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="6a6b9b0e-d946-4c2c-b4bb-1a4b5f4fc299" data-langcode="en" class="embedded-entity"> <img src="https://www.middleeasteye.net/sites/default/files/images-story/Fatem%20Sweedan%2020.11.25%20sussex.jpg" width="4080" height="1884" alt="The teacher from Gaza is studying international education at Sussex University, and trying to bring her children out of Gaza (Joe Gill)" typeof="foaf:Image" fetchpriority="high"> </div> <figcaption>The teacher from Gaza is studying international education at Sussex University, and trying to bring her children out of Gaza (Joe Gill)</figcaption> </div> </figure> <p><span style="background: url(&quot;https://www.middleeasteye.net/modules/contrib/ckeditor/vendor/plugins/widget/images/handle.png&quot;) rgba(220, 220, 220, 0.5); top: -15px; left: 0px;"><img height="15" role="presentation" src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAPABAP///wAAACH5BAEKAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICRAEAOw==" title="Click and drag to move" width="15" loading="lazy"></span></p> </div> </div> </article>

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