According to Politico, the Belgian government is blocking the evacuation of around ten students and researchers from Gaza.
Despite having been awarded scholarships at several universities in the country, they cannot leave Gaza. Some sources mention logistical difficulties on the Belgian side preventing the concrete evacuation of the young academics, while the Israeli authorities themselves do not oppose it.
While scholarship applicants in Gaza received offers in June to begin classes this fall at some of Belgium’s top universities, they cannot enter the country due to the political climate within the coalition government.
The issue of immigration is sensitive, two parties in the coalition are reluctant to these arrivals initially planned for this autumn: the MR and the N-VA. The latter is the Flemish nationalist party, which gives the Prime Minister Bart Dea Wever, who is the main opponent of the student’s evacuation.
One of the important chapters of the coalition agreement put in place at the beginning of 2025 was based, it is true, on a stricter migration policy.
However, those familiar with the workings of the federal government do not see how the temporary reception of some Gazan academics would jeopardise this policy. “I have the impression that some in the government do not want to make an effort at the moment given the tensions in the kern (select ministerial committee, which brings together the main ministers on sensitive issues) on the recognition of Palestine,” a source told La Libre, French-language Belgian daily.
A member of the De Wever team said to the Belgian newspaper that the reason for the current blockage is actually a security issue and must be placed in a broader context.
“There have been discussions in inter-cabinet where the case of these students has been raised, but the demand (for evacuation) is broader than that,” explains a federal minister. The discussions are not over. We must have security guarantees on this kind of repatriation operation.
The case highlights Belgium’s pro-Palestine stance – one of the strongest in Europe – which clashes with the Flemish nationalist-led government’s anti-migration policy. Belgium has pledged to recognize Palestinian statehood, imposed sanctions on illegal settlements in the West Bank and urged the EU to do the same.
The King is Also Concerned with the Case
According to La Libre’s sources, the issue is set to be placed on the government’s agenda. Maxime Prévot (Les Engagés), the Minister for Foreign Affairs, has requested that it be discussed at the Council of Ministers meeting on 11 September. The centrist politician is calling for a favourable outcome regarding the entry of students and researchers on scholarships into Belgium.
Having been approached by letter this summer regarding the plight of these few individuals, the King had forwarded their cases to the Foreign Ministry. The Royal Palace is paying particular attention to their situation, and King Philippe has in the past expressed his deep concern regarding the suffering imposed on the people of Gaza. However, the Head of State cannot exceed his prerogatives, which, in this case, are limited to moral authority. Any solution can only come from the governing coalition.
Other European countries, also applying a vigilant migration policy, have organized evacuation for academics.
Giorgia Meloni’s Italy, for example, established a “university corridor” allowing more than 70 students to take special scholarships in Italian universities. The U.K. also established a similar program for Gazan students, while the European Commission also organized evacuations, but only for medical treatment.
