As the denial of visas for students from Gaza hoping to study in Ireland continues, Johnny Lumley explains the significance of the Sanctuary Scholarships initiative.
On August 19th, around 200 people attended a protest outside the Department of Justice, regarding their denial of visas for Palestinian students who were awarded partial or fully funded scholarships in Irish third-level education institutions. The protest received support from UCDSU, and members of Sinn Féin, the Social Democrats, People Before Profit, Labour, and the Green party.
The Sanctuary Scholarships offer opportunities to those under international protection, including refugees, asylum seekers, and those granted permission to remain in Ireland, to study at third-level.
UCD was awarded sanctuary status in 2018. This status is granted to universities that adopt policies that welcome such groups, providing full scholarships, financial assistance, as well as fostering a safe and inviting environment for study.
Universities of Sanctuary have created a sub-group to monitor the commitments made by UCD according to its sanctuary status. UCD students who are eligible for such support receive full scholarships and annual maintenance payments which are determined based on distance from campus, as well as whether the student is part-time or full-time.
The scholarship, which was designed to promote equal access to education to migrants, is vital for those whose educational systems and infrastructure in their home countries are under threat as a result of violent conflict.
The scholarship, which was designed to promote equal access to education to migrants, is vital for those whose educational systems and infrastructure in their home countries are under threat as a result of violent conflict.
UNICEF reported in 2025 that in Gaza, 91.8% of all educational facilities have been destroyed. This process is classified as scholasticide; the deliberate destruction of a population's educational systems and infrastructure. A process that has long-lasting effects on increased illiteracy rates, underemployment, and cultural loss.
This demonstrates why schemes such as the Sanctuary Scholarships are vital to ensure educational equality regardless of conflicts in one's own home country. RTÉ reported that 31 of the 59 students within Gaza who applied for visas after securing partial or full scholarships have had their applications denied by the Department of Justice, including ten students who were set to begin their studies at UCD.
Speaking to the Irish Times, Ahmed Abussan, a student in Gaza who was given a full scholarship to study computer science at UCD, had his visa application rejected due to insufficient financial evidence. More students await the decision on their visa applications. The Department of Justice claims that there have been no revisions to their reviewing process, and that each application is examined based on its own merit, regardless of nationality.
Labour Party leader, Ivana Bacik, expressed solidarity with the Palestinian students at the protest. Bacik argued that the reasons for refusal do not accurately reflect the reality in Gaza. The Department of Justice has yet to publicly announce their position on the matter.