Minister must intervene in Gazan student visa row, says Bacik

Labour leader Ivana Bacik and Further and Higher Education spokesperson, Senator Laura Harmon, have called for urgent government intervention to ensure students from Gaza who have secured fully funded scholarships at Irish universities can take up their places this September.

Bacik said, “these are exceptional students who have earned their places through academic excellence. They have been offered fully funded scholarships by Irish universities, yet many are now being denied the opportunity to study in Ireland because of visa decisions that fail to reflect the reality they are living through.”

“I will be speaking at the protest outside the Department of Justice on Wednesday in solidarity with these students. More than 51 young people who have worked extraordinarily hard to secure these opportunities now face the prospect of losing them,” the Dublin Bay South TD said.

“I will also be speaking directly with Minister Jim O’Callaghan. Ireland has consistently expressed its solidarity with the Palestinian people. That solidarity must mean something in practice. Government must find a solution that allows these students to take up the places they have earned,” she said.

Senator Harmon said, “I am calling on Minister for Justice Jim O’Callaghan to urgently review these cases and to work with the Minister for Further and Higher Education and the Department of Foreign Affairs to ensure there is a joined-up approach across the government.”

“We cannot have one part of government supporting these students while another prevents them from travelling to Ireland,” Senator Harmon said.

“Before entering politics, I worked in the higher education sector with international students, and I saw first-hand the enormous contribution that students from Gaza and Palestine make to our campuses and communities. They bring talent, resilience and invaluable perspectives to university life. These scholarships are awarded on merit, not charity,” she said.

“The reported reasons for refusal, including requests for original bank statements and evidence that students will return home, appear completely disconnected from the reality facing people in Gaza today. These are exceptional circumstances and they require a practical and compassionate response. I have written to the Ministers of Justice, Further and Higher Education, and Foreign Affairs. All three Departments must work together to resolve this issue immediately”

“Minister O’Callaghan must intervene without delay, review these decisions and work with his Cabinet colleagues to ensure students who have secured fully funded places at Irish universities can begin their studies this September. Government has the power to resolve this. It must act now,” the Labour Senator said.