Belgium Minister opposes bringing Palestinian students from Gaza

Belgian Asylum and Migration Minister Anneleen Van Bossuyt has expressed opposition to bringing 13 Palestinian students from Gaza to Belgium, despite them holding valid education visas and scholarships. Speaking to the Flemish public broadcaster VRT, Van Bossuyt argued that allowing these students to enter could create a ‘domino effect,’ leading to similar requests from students in Yemen, Sudan, and Afghanistan. She expressed concern that once in the country, these individuals might seek asylum or family reunification.

Human rights organization 11.11.11 criticized the Minister’s stance, asserting that the students have a right to enter Belgium given their legal status. The Belgian government is facing criticism for failing to reach a coalition consensus on creating a mechanism to evacuate students and researchers from Gaza, even as universities call for action. While Italy and the United Kingdom have established evacuation routes for similar cases, Belgium has struggled to implement a concrete solution.

Spokesperson Laurens Soenen for Foreign Minister Maxime Prevot noted that the primary obstacle is not visa processing, but the physical difficulty of exiting Gaza, which currently requires coordination with third countries or medical evacuations via the World Health Organization.