Belgian universities condemn government over Gaza student evacuation refusal

Belgium's top universities have strongly criticized the government's decision to abandon plans to evacuate 13 Palestinian scholarship students from Gaza. The rectors of the country's leading academic institutions expressed their "dismay" in a letter, accusing the administration of treating the students as "bargaining chips" in a "disgraceful political horse-trading" over migration policy.

Foreign Minister Maxime Prevot had supported the evacuation proposal but faced opposition from conservative parties within the five-party coalition government. According to a government source, one coalition member demanded concessions on migration, including the establishment of deportation centers, in exchange for approving the students' arrival. Prevot reportedly withdrew his entire proposal due to the lack of consensus, stating that "dignity is not for sale."

The university chiefs argued that the obstacles were not due to insurmountable constraints but a "lack of political will." They emphasized that the students were selected based on academic merit and intended to return to Gaza to aid in its reconstruction. The students are among approximately 1,500 Palestinians in Gaza who have been granted the right to come to Belgium, primarily through family reunification, but evacuations have been proceeding slowly.

Similar delays have been reported for Palestinian students seeking to study in Italy, Turkey, the Netherlands, and Germany in recent months. The conflict in Gaza, which began after Hamas's attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, has resulted in a significant number of casualties and widespread destruction, with reconstruction costs estimated at around $70 billion.