Belgium denies passage to Gaza scholars while EU peers facilitate exit

The students, including 23-year-old Salwa Abu Elhaj and 28-year-old doctor Ahmed Abu Jhabi, earned their places at institutions like KU Leuven and the Institute of Tropical Medicine through competitive selection. Their plight briefly gained momentum in July when King Philippe’s office acknowledged their case, prompting a referral to Foreign Minister Maxime Prévot. However, the ministry issued a firm rejection on August 10, asserting that no visa adjustment can bypass the physical impossibility of exiting the territory.

Prévot’s office maintains that even if passage were possible, other groups such as children would take precedence over students. This framing has sparked criticism from those awaiting transit. Abu Jhabi, currently working in a field hospital, rejected the premise that the government must choose between vulnerable demographics. Despite receiving personal letters from the palace, the students have been told that the monarchy lacks the legal authority to intervene further. Evidence from other EU nations contradicts the Belgian stance; Italy and the Netherlands have utilized limited diplomatic channels to secure safe passage for students, while the UK has facilitated the exit of over 100 Gazan scholars. For applicants like Abu Elhaj, who remains in a refugee tent, the goal is a temporary, practical pathway to education, not permanent resettlement.