Belgian government parties are deadlocked over whether to evacuate 13 Palestinian students who earned scholarships to study at Belgian universities.
Key facts
- •The 13 students have been awarded scholarships at top Belgian universities but require government assistance to leave Gaza.
- •The Belgian ruling coalition is split, with the N-VA and MR opposing the evacuation while LE, CD&V, and Vooruit support it.
- •Israel's COGAT authority stated it has no objections to the evacuation and facilitates such departures for students.
- •Minister Anneleen Van Bossuyt expressed concern that the evacuation could set a precedent for other migration requests.
- •Commentators suggest the N-VA's position is linked to electoral competition with the far-right Vlaams Belang party.
The Belgian government is currently divided over a proposal to evacuate 13 Palestinian students from Gaza who have secured scholarships at top Belgian universities. Immigration and Asylum Minister Anneleen Van Bossuyt, representing the nationalist N-VA party, has opposed the evacuation, citing concerns that it could set a precedent for future migration. Meanwhile, three other coalition parties—LE, CD&V, and Vooruit—are advocating for the students to be brought to Belgium.
By the numbers
Political Standoff and Evacuation Plans
Foreign Minister Maxime Prévot has developed detailed plans for the evacuation, but the proposal faces resistance from the N-VA and the liberal MR party. Minister Van Bossuyt argued that making an exception for this group raises questions about policy consistency regarding students from other regions like Sudan, Yemen, or Afghanistan. She further stated that Belgium has already processed 53 percent of all EU asylum applications from Gaza in 2024 and evacuated approximately 1,000 Palestinians on medical grounds since 2023.
Context of the Dispute
Political commentators suggest the N-VA's stance is influenced by electoral competition with the far-right Vlaams Belang party and a desire to demonstrate a firm approach to immigration. Additionally, analysts noted that the N-VA and MR maintain a pro-Israel alignment, which complicates their support for projects perceived as aiding Palestinians. While the Israeli authority COGAT stated it has no objections to student evacuations and approves 98 percent of such requests, the internal Belgian cabinet remains split ahead of a scheduled decision.
Student Perspective
Ahmed Abu Jami, a 28-year-old student from Khan Younis who earned a master's place at the Institute of Tropical Medicine in Antwerp, criticized the minister's public opposition. He highlighted the disparity between his situation and that of Belgian students, noting that while Prime Minister Bart De Wever’s son recently traveled to Japan for an Erasmus program, Palestinian students remain unable to leave a war zone to pursue their earned education.
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This article was independently rewritten by ManyPress editorial AI from reporting originally published by EUobserver.
