Belgian Government Blocks Palestinian Students From Gaza Starting Studies Amid Coalition Disputes

A group of Palestinian students and researchers from Gaza who received scholarships to study at leading Belgian universities will likely be unable to begin their upcoming semester due to the Belgian government's refusal to approve their exit from Gaza. This decision stems from internal disagreements within Belgium's nationalist coalition government regarding immigration policy. Despite some students receiving admission offers as early as June, their departure has been stalled amid political disputes.

The students cannot leave Gaza freely because of the ongoing conflict, but third countries can request their evacuation from Israel for educational purposes. While countries like Italy and the UK have established support systems for Palestinian students, Belgium faces political obstacles. Immigration Minister Annelies Van Bossuyt, from the ruling N-VA party, stated there is currently no consensus within the government on approving these evacuations, which fall under the Foreign Ministry's authority.

Belgium's Foreign Minister Maxime Prévot said his ministry is exploring ways to assist the students but emphasized that any evacuation decision requires full government approval. Ten Belgian universities have jointly appealed to Prime Minister Bart De Wever to facilitate safe passage for the Palestinian scholars. University officials report resistance from some coalition parties on immigration matters, which affects international students.

The scholarship recipients include researchers in critical fields for Gaza's reconstruction, such as medicine, virology, and computer science. Among them are Ahmed Al-Salibi, a postdoctoral AI researcher focused on ambulance evacuation efficiency, and Zouheir Dardona, studying the impact of war on infectious disease spread. Salwa Abu Al-Hajj, a master's candidate in communications, described the challenges of applying for scholarships under difficult conditions and condemned the blockage as destroying dreams and hindering Gaza's rebuilding efforts.

Israel's Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories confirmed that Israel assists and encourages the evacuation of students and researchers from Gaza upon requests from third countries. The Belgian impasse highlights the complex political dynamics affecting Palestinian students' access to education abroad amid the ongoing Gaza conflict.