Shahira Sadat was in the final year of her bachelor’s degree at Kabul University when the Taliban recaptured Afghanistan in 2021.
While describing herself as “fortunate” for being able to finish her undergraduate degree, she was barred from applying for a master’s in Afghanistan when the Taliban clamped down on female education. Now, it stands as the only country where secondary and higher education is prohibited for women and girls.
Determined to continue her studies, Shahira applied to the UK’s Chevening Scholarship to start her postgraduate degree in the UK. She received unconditional offers from three universities and had planned to take a master’s in AI and machine learning at University College London.
“And then the visa ban happened, and now I’m unable to continue,” Shahira told The PIE News.
After the UK government announced its “emergency brake” on study visas for individuals from Afghanistan, Sudan, Myanmar and Cameroon, the Chevening program terminated all applications for students from the impacted countries.
“It was heartbreaking because I spent so much time on my scholarship application. It was my second time applying to Chevening, and this time, I got the interview invitation.”
“I was so happy. I scheduled my interview for March 9 and on March 4 I received the email saying they had cancelled my Chevening application. It was very difficult for me, I cried for hours.”
“What is the difference between the UK and the Taliban?” she asked. “Neither allow us to continue our education.”
Shahira said that for women and girls in Afghanistan, international programs like Chevening are not to be taken lightly. “They are the only way for us to continue our education and to remain connected with the world,” she said.
What’s the difference between the UK and the Taliban? Neither allow us to continue our education
Shahira Sadat, Afghan student
She called the policy “heartbreaking” as it felt like another sign the world was ignoring the situation for women and girls under Taliban rule.
“It made me realise that decisions are not based on people – their qualifications, talent and potential – it’s about the country you are born in. Your nationality can take those global opportunities from you.”
Alongside five Sudanese students, Shahira has launched a legal challenge against the government attempting to overturn the visa ban, which they say is discriminatory, irrational, a violation of human rights laws and a misdirection of law.
The policy was purportedly based on Home Office figures showing student asylum claims from the four countries had increased by 470% between 2021 and 2025.
But its critics say the figures are a distortion, given that only 120 Sudanese students applied for asylum in the year up to September, out of a total of more than 110,000 asylum claims to the UK.
What’s more, while the impacted four countries have seen large percentage increases, none of them are near the top of the list when it comes to numbers of students claiming asylum – a central strand of the students’ legal argument.
The case is calling on home secretary Shabana Mahmood to reverse the brake or at least suspend it for students due to come to the UK to start programs later this year.
Upon the policy being announced, it was reported that the Home Office rejected calls from within government for Chevening Scholars to be exempt from the ban, with the scheme – which sponsors some 1,500 master’s students coming to the UK every year – enjoying strong support from Labour MPs.
While Shahira said she was hopeful the government might “reconsider” the policy, she doesn’t want to lose other opportunities in the meantime and is applying for a DAAD scholarship from the German government to continue her studies there.
She explained that restrictions on Afghan women were increasing every day, and she fears one day she might not be allowed to leave the country.
“I want to use other opportunities to go where I can continue my education,” said Shahira, motivated by a desire to set an example to her one-year-old daughter and teach her to “make opportunities out of challenges”.
“I want to have a better future for myself, my daughter and for Afghan females living in this country,” Shahira said.
Your nationality can take global opportunities from you
Shahira Sadat, Afghan student
In the long-term, she plans to create a technology hub dedicated to teaching Afghan women and youths how to move from being passive users of technology to becoming “active innovators” learning advanced knowledge and entrepreneurship.
“In Afghanistan there are lots of NGOs and institutions working in digital literacy,” Shahira explained. “There are lots of graduates that know the basics of technology, but they lack the advanced knowledge to compete with international competitors and to work in international job markets.”
Prior to the visa brake, Shahira saw the UK’s Chevening program as the perfect route to achieve this dream: “Because Chevening is not just about academics, it teaches you how to be a great leader and how to have a continuous long-term impact.”
Now, she says she can’t trust any global opportunities and is worried about Germany taking similar action and banning visas for Afghan students.
“Currently, the government in Afghanistan doesn’t support us at all. Our hopes turn to countries like the UK, US and Europe,” she said.
“These parts of the world have to fight for us. But instead, they are taking away the few opportunities that are left for us to progress and have an impact, to change our community and make a difference.”
