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The Friends of Birzeit University have condemned Israeli government measures that have prevented foreign staff taking up their posts.

In a letter to the British government urging it to ¡°defend Palestinians¡¯ right to education¡±, the group of supporters of the institution, based near Ramallah in the West Bank, describes how the university has been ¡°particularly hard hit with 15 foreign passport-holding faculty members having had requests for visa renewals refused or significantly delayed¡±.

The group adds: ¡°In June, seven faculty members had their visa renewals rejected. Many of these academics are Palestinian but denied residency rights, many have taught in the [occupied Palestinian territory] for years and hold senior positions at the university.¡±

The letter, also signed by leading educational unions, goes on to describe a more general ¡°worsening trend in Israeli policies which limit access to the occupied Palestinian territory¡±, a ¡°recent deterioration of the state of academic freedom¡± and ¡°an increasingly onerous and arbitrary visa regime for foreign nationals teaching at Palestinian universities¡±.

matthew.reisz@timeshighereducation.com