Belgian government debate over Gaza student evacuations

The Belgian federal government is experiencing internal division regarding the evacuation of Palestinian students from Gaza who hold valid Belgian university scholarships.

Migration Minister Anneleen Van Bossuyt has opposed the measure, arguing that allowing these students to enter could create a ‘domino effect’ of similar requests from other conflict zones like Yemen, Sudan, and Afghanistan. She expressed concerns that students might later seek asylum or family reunification. Human rights organization 11.11.11 has criticized this stance, maintaining that the students have a legal right to enter.

While Foreign Minister Maxime Prévot has proposed a technical evacuation plan that would require Israeli cooperation, the ruling coalition has struggled to reach a consensus. Officials have noted that the primary obstacle is the physical difficulty of exiting Gaza, which necessitates coordination with third countries or medical evacuations via the World Health Organization. One scholarship recipient, Salwa Abu Elhaj, highlighted the extreme difficulties of maintaining her academic status amidst food insecurity and internet outages while being unable to reach Belgium.