Twenty Afghan female medical students will be allowed to come to Scotland

Twenty female Afghan medical students have finally been given the chance to start their university education in Scotland.

The women were previously denied under the Afghan Citizen Resettlement Scheme for more than a year.

But an agreement between the UK and Scottish Governments now enables the aspiring doctors to apply for student visas and have their tuition fees covered.

Midlothian MP Owen Thompson has been campaigning for the students to come to Scotland.

Mr Thompson said: “This is great news. Scotland is a welcoming country so we are delighted to finally welcome these talented Afghan medical students.

“This move reflects our commitment to supporting education and providing opportunities for those who have faced immense challenges.

“This is a momentous victory for these courageous women. We are proud to stand by them and support their journey to pursue their dreams of becoming doctors.

“Their resilience is an inspiration to us all. Diversity enriches our community and we look forward to seeing the contributions these students will make to the field of medicine.”

“It is heartening to finally see action being taken to support these women in their pursuit of education.

“Access to education is a fundamental human right and this represents a step towards upholding that right for all.”

“I applaud the Linda Norgrove Foundation for their tireless efforts to provide a lifeline to these aspiring doctors and call on other nations to follow suit in supporting Afghan women’s access to education.”