Question to the Department for Education:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reports that the government of the United Arab Emirates will not provide scholarships to students seeking to attend UK universities on the grounds that they might be subject to radicalisation by Islamic extremists on UK campuses.

The UK offers one of the best education systems in the world, especially teaching and research in high growth sectors of the future. We welcome high quality students from across the world, including from the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

No form of extremism has any place in our society, and we have some of the strongest laws in the world to protect our citizens from hatred and terrorism. The government maintains stringent measures to safeguard all students and our Prevent strategy, recently updated to address evolving threats, and our consistent review and proscription of extremist organisations, underline our ongoing commitment to student welfare and campus safety.

The education sector continues to play a vital role in safeguarding learners from radicalisation, being the highest contributor of referrals to the Prevent programme. To support this effort, we provide resources through the Educate Against Hate website, helping pupils and staff understand terrorism risks and challenge extremist views.

The UK and UAE have a deep and long-standing bilateral relationship and we will continue to discuss this matter with their government.