First Palestinian students on their way to the Netherlands

A group of 40 to 50 Palestinian students and researchers is due to come to the Netherlands to work or study at universities, including some who are expected to come to Utrecht University. Although their papers are ready at the Dutch embassy in Jordan, they can't leave Gaza to collect them.

Two students from this group are now coming to the Netherlands after all, NOS reports. They will both study in Wageningen. The third is a journalist who also got a visa, but on second thought, decided to go to Italy. Reportedly, he also received Dutch assistance.

This marks a change in the Dutch government's attitude. Initially, the cabinet refused to provide assistance, stating that the students and researchers would have to solve their travel problem themselves.

The Palestinians lost a lawsuit regarding this matter, but they appealed. However, the appeal case could take so long that an interim ruling was issued. The judge believes that helping them is a small effort, even if the cabinet is ultimately not obliged to do so.

At the end of May, several universities and the research institute NIAS sent a letter to the cabinet to pressure it to help the Palestinians, but according to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Tom Berendsen, they didn't have to. He adhered to the interim ruling anyway.