# Gaza students lose route to Belgium scholarships

> Thirteen Gaza students won Belgian scholarships, but politics has left them trapped as classes begin without them.
- Title: Gaza students lose route to Belgium scholarships | Shortify
- Summary: Thirteen Gaza students won Belgian scholarships, but politics has left them trapped as classes begin without them. The students cleared academic hurdles, but…
- Keywords: gaza, belgium, scholarships, student evacuation, ku leuven, institute of tropical medicine, free university of brussels, bart de wever, maxime prevot, anneleen van bossuyt, new flemish alliance, higher education
- Source: the Guardian — https://theguardian.com/world/2026/sep/16/gaza-students-devastated-belgium-university-scholarships
- Published: 2026-09-16T04:00:11+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: gaza, belgium, scholarships, student evacuation, ku leuven, institute of tropical medicine, free university of brussels, bart de wever, maxime prevot, anneleen van bossuyt, new flemish alliance, higher education
## Scholarships are stuck
Thirteen students and researchers in Gaza won places at Belgian universities. Belgium's coalition failed to agree on an evacuation plan, leaving them unable to leave.
## A doctor waits
Ahmed Abujami has a public health scholarship in Antwerp. He wants training that could help rebuild Gaza's broken health system.

> I was devastated by the failure to reach an agreement on Friday
## Visas need travel
Many cannot even apply for Belgian visas because applications must be made in person in Jerusalem or Cairo. Gaza's borders keep them trapped.

> We have already lost so much because of the war
## They followed the rules
Abujami says the group passed strict academic selection and earned scholarships. Their futures are now caught in Belgian coalition bargaining.

> We have nothing to do with the political disagreements surrounding our case.
## Hope gets thinner
Salwa Abu Elhaj still hopes to study communications sciences at KU Leuven. She lives in a tent in central Gaza after her home was destroyed.

> with every passing day, that hope becomes more difficult
## Research is on hold
Ahmed Alsalibi has a Brussels fellowship to build AI-aided ambulance dispatch systems for Gaza. His visa is approved, but he must collect it outside Gaza.

> We hope that the government in the end will decide to help us.
## Universities push back
Rectors from seven Belgian institutions said they were outraged. They argued the students are scholarship winners, not illegal migrants.

> The doors of our lecture halls remain open.
## A coalition blocks it
Foreign minister Maxime Prevot withdrew the evacuation proposal after a coalition partner tied it to tougher deportation demands, including returns to Afghanistan.

> Dignity is not for sale.
## Migration fears dominate
Asylum and migration minister Anneleen Van Bossuyt opposes entry without stronger removals policy. She warned the case could set a wider precedent.

> Why wouldn’t that apply to people from Yemen or Sudan?
## Time is slipping
Some academic years have already begun. Each day in Gaza raises the chance that the students lose another year, and Belgium loses a chance to help future reconstruction.

> every day we remain trapped in Gaza puts our futures at greater risk
## Key takeaway

The students cleared academic hurdles, but without an evacuation deal they cannot reach visas, universities, or the training Gaza needs for recovery.