Belgian coalition deadlock blocks evacuation plan for 13 Gaza scholarship students

Scholarships without a route out

Thirteen students and researchers in Gaza face losing places at Belgian universities after Belgium’s five-party coalition failed to agree on an evacuation plan. The Guardian reported that the group had passed academic selection processes and secured scholarships or fellowships, but most cannot complete visa procedures because applications or document collection require an in-person visit to Jerusalem, Cairo or another location outside Gaza.

Foreign Minister Maxime Prévot withdrew the proposal after it was rejected by a coalition partner. The disagreement was linked to demands for tougher action on returns of people without permission to remain in Belgium, including possible removals to Afghanistan. Belgium’s asylum and migration minister argued that admitting the students could set a precedent and lead to requests involving relatives or asylum claims.

Academic institutions press for a solution

Leaders of seven institutions involved in the placements have urged the government to reconsider. Their position is that the students were chosen through competitive processes, have funding for living expenses and want to gain skills relevant to Gaza’s eventual reconstruction. The Guardian said it inspected letters confirming the scholarships and, in at least one case, correspondence refusing a remote visa application.

The impasse is time-sensitive because university terms have begun or are approaching. One candidate holds a public-health place in Antwerp, another a communications programme at KU Leuven, and a computer-science professor has a fellowship in Brussels. Some have already waited through earlier academic cycles. Without an agreed corridor and visa arrangement, formal admission offers cannot translate into physical access to campuses.

Education as a humanitarian issue

UN reporting shows why the dispute reaches beyond routine migration administration. Gaza’s education system remains heavily damaged, electricity and internet access are unreliable, and funding for emergency education is critically low. The students’ cases also illustrate the limits of scholarships offered during conflict: selection and financing are insufficient when candidates cannot cross borders or appear at consular offices. Belgium’s parliament was due to revisit the matter, while university leaders said their places remained open. What matters next is whether coalition partners separate the small, documented academic group from the broader argument over asylum and returns.