Several Belgian university rectors denounce political deadlock over arrival of Gazan students

Several Belgian university rectors criticized on Monday the lack of government consensus over the arrival of Gazan scholarship students, according to the Belga news agency.

Rectors reportedly published an open letter in daily De Standaard, calling the political deadlock over the arrival of thirteen Gazan scholarship students “unacceptable.”

They noted that it is not a matter of “illegal migrants,” but rather students who had been selected by independent committees for a competitive scholarship.

“It is a matter of political will, and that is clearly lacking in some parties. The moral compass of some government partners is lost,” they said.

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Rectors reaffirmed that the students will not go to an asylum center but to their student accommodation upon their arrival and will attend classes and continue their scholarship programs.

“They are committed students with an excellent CV. The programmes they are pursuing here also align with Gaza’s reconstruction needs. After their studies, they wish to return there to help build the future,” they underscored.

“The doors of our lecture halls remain open,” the rectors added.

The letter came after Foreign Minister Maxime Prevot submitted a proposal to the federal government to evacuate the 13 scholarship students and bring them to Belgium.

However, the government reportedly struggled to reach a consensus on the proposal, leaving the talks at a standstill.

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