Widening Participation

Forced Migrants

As a University of Sanctuary, we offer tailored support throughout your studies to forced migrant applicants, including those seeking asylum and refugees, looking to study at the University of Glasgow. We offer guidance from the pre-application stage, such as providing information on entry routes and which courses are available, through to supporting you when on-course here at the University of Glasgow. You may also be eligible for an adjusted offer of entry.

Definition of a Forced Migrant

A forced migrant is an individual who has been forced to flee their home due to threats to their life, their human rights or to avoid the effects of armed conflict. This umbrella term includes refugees, asylum seekers and those who have settled in the UK via other humanitarian routes. Below is a definition of what the University would consider as an asylum seeker, a refugee along with a list of the other safe and legal humanitarian routes to the UK.

Asylum Seeker

Individuals who are seeking asylum in the UK will have fled their country and are seeking protection because of a fear of being persecuted due to their race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group, or political opinion. They are currently in the process of applying for asylum or are awaiting a decision on their asylum claim or are actively appealing a negative decision on a claim for asylum in the UK.

Refugee

Refugees are those whose individual application for protection has been recognised under the UN Convention on Refugees 1951 and have been given permission to stay in the UK. This includes those who have been granted Humanitarian Protection or Discretionary Leave by the Home Office, because of an asylum claim.

The University would also welcome applications those who have come to the UK through safe and legal humanitarian routes or schemes such as:

Ukraine Family Scheme
Homes for Ukraine Scheme
Ukraine Extension Scheme
Afghan citizens Resettlement Scheme
UK Resettlement Scheme (UKRS)
Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP)
Syrian Vulnerable Persons Resettlement Scheme (VPRS)

For students who are currently seeking asylum and do not have recourse to SAAS funding for tuition fees, we can help you to explore alternative funding sources which may be available to you.

If eligible, you are encouraged to apply to our Sanctuary Scholarships, which provide financial support for the duration of your studies.

We have named points of contact within our team, who can be contacted at sanctuary@gla.systa-s.com and are here to help you and answer any questions that you might have throughout your application process. No matter what stage you're at, we encourage you to get in touch with us so that we can discuss your options. Even if you're just looking for information about possible future applications, having input from the University from the very beginning can make the whole process much more straightforward.