Salwa Abu Elhaj, a 23‑year‑old from Gaza, was set to begin a master's in communication science at KU Leuven this September after receiving a full scholarship. Instead, she is still living in a tent with her family, waiting for a visa that the Belgian authorities have not processed.

Salwa is one of a cohort of thirteen students and researchers from the enclave who have been offered places at universities in Antwerp, Brussels, Hasselt and Leuven. None have been able to travel, and the universities that selected them have publicly condemned the deadlock.

Political bargaining stalls evacuation

Belgium's federal government has not facilitated the visa applications nor arranged an evacuation corridor. The impasse is not logistical, the students have been accepted, the universities have confirmed funding and the consular procedures exist, but political. The governing New Flemish Alliance (N‑VA) has made the evacuation contingent on concessions from coalition partners on the EU's deportation‑to‑Afghanistan and "return hub" policies.

Migration minister Anneleen Van Bossuyt (N‑VA) warned that allowing the Gazan scholars to enter could set a "domino effect", suggesting they might seek asylum or family reunification after a short stay. She asked rhetorically why the same concern should not apply to applicants from Yemen, Sudan or Afghanistan, framing the students as potential irregular migrants rather than as candidates selected through academic merit.

For the students, the argument feels abstract and cruel. "We are not people trying to enter Belgium through irregular migration, we have been selected by Belgian universities through academic processes," Salwa told The Guardian. "Our situation is not hypothetical."

Other EU states move faster, but the trend is mixed

Belgium's reluctance stands out against a patchwork of responses across Europe. Italy, through its university‑corridors programme, has evacuated 229 Gaza‑based students since September 2025, including 72 in May alone. The United Kingdom has facilitated the departure of more than 100 students for the current academic year.

In contrast, Ireland has tightened its visa regime. In 2025, Irish universities welcomed 122 Palestinian scholars, but this year the Justice Department approved only 50 of 165 applications, rejecting 115. Officials cited insufficient documentation, gaps in education or employment history, and doubts about the applicants' intention to return, criteria that are virtually impossible to meet in a war‑torn enclave where official paperwork and postal services have collapsed.

The only viable route for the Gazan scholars is an official evacuation list, a visa issued by a Belgian consulate and coordinated transport through neighbouring Egypt or Jordan. Without that political will, the students remain stranded.

Universities press for action

University leaders have written an open letter to the Belgian government, published in De Standaard, calling the situation "unacceptable". They stress that the scholars were chosen by independent committees, just like any other international student, and that their fields, ranging from communications to virology, are essential for Gaza's post‑war reconstruction.

"These students have been selected by an independent committee like every other international student, and their courses align with what Gaza will need for reconstruction," the letter reads. "Our lecture halls are ready; the doors must be opened."

Among the group are future doctors, water‑engineers, virologists and computer scientists. Salwa hopes her communication studies will improve fundraising for NGOs operating in the enclave, while her peers aim to bring back technical expertise that could help rebuild shattered infrastructure.

Human cost of a stalled education

The United Nations has warned of a "scholasticide" in Gaza since April 2024, noting that Israel's military campaign has deliberately targeted schools, universities and teachers. By November, 95 % of campuses were reported severely damaged or destroyed, and more than a thousand university staff members had been killed, detained or injured.

For the thirteen scholars, a visa alone would not solve the deeper problem: they cannot leave Gaza without a coordinated exit plan, and even if they did, the uncertainty of their legal status in Belgium would linger.

Some have pursued legal avenues to obtain visas, but Salwa says the process is mired in bureaucracy that assumes a level of administrative normalcy absent from the enclave. "A visa alone does not solve the fundamental problem: we are still in Gaza and cannot independently decide when or how we can leave," she explained.

Wider implications for European student mobility

The deadlock reflects a broader shift in European migration policy. Where once the EU promoted open academic exchange as a pillar of its soft power, many member states now treat international students through the same lens as economic migrants. The narrative that students could become a "burden" on welfare systems or trigger family reunification claims is gaining traction, even as evidence shows that most scholars return home after completing their studies.

Critics argue that this securitisation of student mobility undermines the EU's commitment to education as a public good and erodes the diversity that fuels research and innovation. They also warn that it could damage Europe's reputation as a destination for talent, especially at a time when the continent faces demographic challenges and a shortage of skilled workers.

Union representatives in Belgium have begun to voice concerns. The General Federation of Belgian Labour (FGTB) called the government's stance "short‑sighted", urging policymakers to separate genuine asylum cases from academic mobility and to honour the scholarships already awarded.

Meanwhile, the students' plight has sparked solidarity actions on campuses across Europe. Demonstrations outside the Belgian foreign ministry and petitions demanding the release of the scholars have gathered thousands of signatures, highlighting a growing public appetite for a more humane approach.

What comes next?

Belgian coalition talks are expected to continue into the autumn, with the N‑VA insisting on linking the evacuation to broader migration concessions. Opposition parties and civil society groups are pressuring the government to act, citing the moral and diplomatic cost of leaving the scholars in limbo.

If the deadlock persists, the universities may have to rescind the scholarships, a move that would not only waste the resources already allocated but also send a chilling signal to future applicants from conflict zones.

For Salwa and her fellow scholars, each day of delay erodes the possibility of returning to a semblance of normal life after the war. Their education is not merely a personal ambition; it is a potential lifeline for a community that has seen its schools reduced to rubble.

As European governments grapple with migration pressures, the case of the Gazan scholars underscores the human cost of turning academic exchange into a bargaining chip. Whether Belgium will untangle the political knot remains to be seen, but the universities and their supporters are making clear that the doors of learning should not be closed on the basis of imagined security risks.