Palestinians with student visas appeal against the Dutch state

A total of 42 Palestinians have been granted visas to study or work as researchers in the Netherlands. However, they are unable to collect these visas as they cannot leave Gaza. Following the official ceasefire, the Dutch government has stopped providing assistance to Gazans who wish to leave the area.

Last week, the administrative court in The Hague rejected a request for assistance from three Palestinians. The Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs previously helped students flee Gaza, so the three students asked for the same treatment.

Not obliged
The court ruled that the Dutch government is not obliged to provide such assistance. The fact that the government offered such assistance last year does not make it an obligation. The law firm representing the students, Prakken d'Oliveira, has announced that it will appeal the ruling.

Two of the three Palestinians who filed the lawsuit have been admitted to Wageningen, while the third was going to conduct research at NIAS in Amsterdam. The researcher has since arrived in the country, though it is unclear how.

Wageningen University contributed to the students' legal costs and announced last week that it is disappointed with the ruling. Other universities said they were also expecting students from Gaza.

Utrecht University has admitted nine students from there. A spokesperson for UU said the university cannot share any details or further information about the students in question "in order not to disrupt the process that has been set in motion".

Visa is in Jordan
Maastricht University is expecting four students from Gaza, and Radboud University Nijmegen is expecting two. In Leiden, only one of the four students admitted was able to come, according to a spokesperson. "This student was already in Cairo, so it was easier for them to travel to the Netherlands. The other three cannot leave Gaza to pick up their visas. We are looking into ways to help them."

The University of Amsterdam says it is also expecting "several" students from Gaza. "We helped them with their visas. As far as we are concerned, the students should have been able to start studying at the beginning of February," said a spokesperson.

Gazans are supposed to collect their study or research visas from the Dutch embassy in Jordan. However, Israel is still keeping its borders closed to some Gazans. As a result, not everyone can get to Amman.