Statement from the University of Sussex Vice-Chancellor, Adam Tickell:

"The University of Sussex and our sister institution, the Institute of Development Studies (IDS), are deeply concerned about the rapidly deteriorating position in Afghanistan and that Chevening Scholars who were scheduled to travel to the UK from Afghanistan are now unable to obtain the visas they need. Nine of these scholars were awarded places at Sussex and IDS.

"This will leave these students in a highly vulnerable situation and they may never get the opportunity to study in the United Kingdom.

"Myself and Melissa Leach, Director of IDS, have today written to the Foreign Secretary, Dominic Raab MP to urge the UK Government to offer all the help possible to support their studies in the coming academic year.

"We are also in the process of contacting our existing students from Afghanistan to provide all the support we can at this very difficult time.

"We will continue to liaise with Universities UK International on this very pressing issue."

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