IFUT has expressed grave concerns over reports that a significant number of Palestinian students from Gaza have been refused student visas despite having secured fully funded places at Irish higher education institutions. These students have already overcome extraordinary barriers to earn places at Irish universities through competitive scholarship programmes. These scholarships offer not only an educational opportunity, but the possibility of safety and the opportunity to rebuilding their lives and contribute to a future Palestine.
Furthermore, IFUT believes this raises urgent questions about Ireland's commitment to supporting access to education for those whose lives have been devastated by the ongoing war and genocide in Gaza. A recent UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry (June 2026) underlined how the destruction of Gaza's education system is threatening the future of an entire generation. With universities destroyed, academic staff killed or displaced, and students killed or deprived of years of learning, access to higher education is not only a basic element of any humanitarian response and it is essential to the sustainable future of the Palestinian people.
Commenting, IFUT President Michael Hinds stated:
"Higher education is founded on the principles of academic freedom, international solidarity and the belief that education is a force for human good. IFUT is deeply troubled that students who have secured fully funded places at Irish universities are facing visa refusals at a time when access to education is more important than ever.
“We are also concerned by the reported grounds for these refusals. Requiring Gazan students to explain interruptions in their education, demonstrate an intention to return home, or produce documents that may no longer exist ignores the devastating situation in which they are living. From IFUT’s perspective, applying these criteria without regard to these exceptional circumstances is not only unreasonable, it is inhumane.
"As a trade union representing workers in higher education, we believe these students’ applications should be assessed in the context of the unprecedented destruction of Gaza's educational institutions. We further note that many, including UN experts and human rights organisations, have characterised Israel's actions as constituting genocide. Ireland's response should, therefore, reflect that reality."
Therefore, IFUT is calling on the Irish Government to:
- Provide a detailed explanation of the criteria used to refuse these visas, including an explanation of how students from Gaza, where essential infrastructure including educational institutions have been destroyed, are expected to meet requirements that are impossible to satisfy in the current circumstances.
- Approve the study visas for the 20 funded Gazan students and work closely with higher education institutions to resolve the outstanding cases before the commencement of the new academic year.
- Reaffirm Ireland's commitment to ensuring that all students offered places through recognised scholarship programmes are supported in practical ways to ensure that they can safely take up their places.