Why is a Belgian scholarship not enough to get students out of Gaza?
Several students awarded places and scholarships at Belgian universities remain trapped in Gaza, unable to reach Belgium despite holding the paperwork that should open the door.
In 30 seconds
- According to De Standaard, students accepted by Belgian universities remain unable to leave Gaza despite holding admission and, in cases, scholarships.
- The obstacle is the closure or tight restriction of the Gaza crossings, not the students' documentation.
- Belgian evacuations from Gaza depend on coordination with Israeli and Egyptian authorities, which the federal foreign ministry says it cannot control unilaterally.
- One student told De Standaard that studying in Belgium 'would mean everything' to them.
Palestinian students accepted by Belgian universities — several reportedly holding scholarships from Belgian or Flemish public schemes — cannot travel to Belgium because the crossings out of the Gaza Strip are closed or severely restricted amid the ongoing war. Key entities: the students themselves; Belgian universities; the Flemish government (education/scholarships); the federal foreign ministry (FOD Buitenlandse Zaken); and the Israeli and Egyptian authorities that control the Rafah and other crossings.
Background
Higher education has repeatedly served as a channel of European solidarity in conflicts, from Bosnia in the 1990s to Ukraine after 2022, when the EU fast-tracked places for displaced students. Since the Israel–Hamas war escalated in October 2023 and the Rafah crossing was effectively closed in May 2024, Gaza's students and academics have been largely unable to leave, and several EU states have struggled to evacuate scholarship holders and dual nationals.
What to do
For Belgium-based readers, the case is a test of institutional consistency: a public scholarship is only meaningful if the state helps the recipient arrive. It also signals to prospective students in conflict zones that admission to a Belgian university does not, by itself, secure safe passage.
Impact
Regional — Because Flemish scholarship schemes and Dutch-language universities appear central to the reported cases, Flanders' education authorities face particular scrutiny over whether their admissions are matched by diplomatic follow-through. Universities in Flanders that reserved places would carry the reputational cost if the students never arrive.
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- Publication date unavailable
- Retrieved by ODIN:
- 7 Aug 2026
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This story was assembled from verified evidence, with its sources and reasoning recorded as it was written.