Travel restrictions – from Israel and Europe – trap students in Gaza

Mariam al-Najar, a 24-year-old pupil from Khan Younis successful Gaza, was waiting for a connection that could alteration her life.

When an email arrived 2 weeks aft she applied for a assistance from the University of Cassino and Southern Lazio successful Italy, she felt, for a little infinitesimal astatine least, that years of studying had yet paid off.

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The assemblage confirmed that she had been offered a spot for a master’s grade successful economics and management, one of the fewer times during a agelong play of despair that Mariam had felt immoderate anticipation astir the future.

“Being accepted was similar a ray of airy that abruptly appeared and gave maine a consciousness of beingness and anticipation again,” she told Al Jazeera. “I was applying for scholarships portion feeling profoundly hopeless and I ne'er expected to person an acceptance.”

The assistance connection was not conscionable an accidental for Mariam to proceed higher studies astatine a starring assemblage but besides offered anticipation of a caller aboriginal amid Israel’s ongoing genocide successful Gaza.

But securing a spot astatine the assemblage opened the doorway to a full caller acceptable of challenges for Mariam.

Italy was a main destination for the evacuation of Palestinian students from the Gaza Strip betwixt 2025 and 2026.

Approximately 229 students were evacuated from Gaza anterior to May 2026, with different radical of astir 40 students joining successful June 2026.

Part of the crushed for the precocious request is attributed to the little surviving and tuition costs successful Italy compared to galore different European countries. In Italy, the yearly fig for students is astir €10,200 ($11,773), compared with the United Kingdom and 30,000 pounds ($40,408) to 60,000 pounds ($80,820) per year.

For Mariam, these inactive important costs were not the contiguous challenge, the trouble was however to scope Italy amid Israel’s siege connected Gaza.

“I did not judge that question had go guaranteed, due to the fact that the acceptance was lone the opening of the journey,” she said. “There are inactive galore steps and challenges that request to beryllium overcome.”

Mariam applied for a visa and was approved, earlier she past contacted respective organisations who whitethorn person been capable to facilitate her travel to Italy. But Israeli restrictions connected travel, made adjacent tougher arsenic a effect of the US-Israeli warfare connected Iran, mean that she has not yet been fixed support to permission Gaza. That has enactment her accomplishment astatine the assemblage successful clip for the commencement of autumn word successful doubt.

Every passing time successful besieged Gaza brings a consciousness of mislaid opportunities for Mariam, peculiarly arsenic Israel has astir wholly destroyed the enclave’s acquisition assemblage and infrastructure.

“It feels arsenic though this is not conscionable a travel for education; it has go a large challenge. Many students person had their visa applications rejected much than erstwhile and determination are obstacles preventing students from travelling and continuing their studies abroad,” she said.

“After years of trying and holding connected to hope, losing this accidental oregon having my studies postponed has go a nightmare that I fearfulness could travel true. This assistance represents much than conscionable acquisition for me. It is simply a way towards a aboriginal I person tried to scope contempt each circumstances.”

Many students successful Gaza person faced akin offers to survey abroad, but seen their hopes crushed owed to difficulties successful question and funding.

“Behind each exertion and each scholarship, determination is simply a pupil with a imagination who is simply trying not to suffer their future,” she said.

“The assistance is not conscionable an accidental to study; it is simply a anticipation that the years of our resilience and conflict during the warfare volition not crook into a mislaid dream.”

The Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it works with universities to assistance facilitate question for students from Gaza to Italy.

But the main obstacle facing them is not obtaining assemblage admittance itself, but navigating a Kafkaesque bureaucracy, some to permission Gaza and to participate Italy, said Professor Giovanna Citti from the University of Bologna.

“The main obstacle facing Palestinian students from Gaza is not obtaining assemblage admittance itself, but their quality to permission Gaza and implicit the procedures required to scope Italy,” Citti said. “Even aft receiving admission, students request authorisation to permission Gaza and, successful galore cases, they person to transit done Israel and Jordan.”

“Humanitarian corridors required intensive diplomatic negotiations due to the fact that obtaining exit permits from Gaza is highly difficult,” Citti added. “The students are academically qualified and highly motivated. The occupation is not their quality to study; the occupation is creating a wide and reliable pathway for them to scope their universities.”

“The hold successful question procedures has go a large interest for students who person already received scholarships and assemblage places.”

Pathway to university

As expanding numbers of students find themselves successful akin situations to Mariam, initiatives focused connected scholarships and pupil question person emerged to code the increasing challenge.

One of those is Gaza40+, which has much than 1,200 registered Palestinian students seeking assistance successful continuing their acquisition extracurricular Gaza. Students hazard losing their scholarships oregon assemblage places if they neglect to scope the assemblage successful clip for fixed enrolment deadlines.

More than 500 of these students person already received assemblage offers from institutions crossed Europe, portion others proceed receiving enactment passim the exertion and assistance process. The inaugural says registrations proceed to increase, with astir 5 to 10 caller pupil and unpaid registrations received each day.

Gaza40+ has helped 120 students permission Gaza to proceed their studies overseas since it was formed, successful summation to 20 household members who travelled with them.

Despite hundreds of students securing assemblage admissions and scholarships, leaving Gaza remains the biggest obstacle to continuing their education.

Gaza40+ says the lack of a wide and accordant humanitarian pathway to exit Gaza for universities overseas is 1 of the biggest challenges for Palestinian students.

The inaugural says that portion immoderate countries had antecedently provided comparatively easier routes for students from Gaza, that was present changing.

In Italy, for example, students were precocious informed that they indispensable show Italian connection proficiency earlier being considered for evacuation from Gaza. While the authorities says the request is essential, it creates different obstruction for students already successful the bosom of 1 of the world’s worst humanitarian crises.

“Students are not losing opportunities due to the fact that of their world qualifications oregon their commitment. They are losing them due to the fact that of circumstances beyond their control,” said Nasser Taha from Gaza40+.

“We request stronger coordination betwixt governments, universities, and planetary organisations to guarantee that Gaza students tin scope their universities and bash not suffer their acquisition opportunities.”

Gaza40+ says ensuring a pathway for students from Gaza to their studies overseas requires coordination betwixt governments, universities and planetary organisations.

Doaa Fawzi Hamdan, a pupil astatine the University of Bologna, said that assistance had appeared to supply an accidental for her to proceed her acquisition aft 3 years of disruptions successful Gaza.

Despite completing each the required paperwork – and predominant energy shortages, anemic net connection and forced displacement – she is inactive waiting for an Italian visa.

“The astir hard portion is receiving acceptance from a assemblage but not knowing whether you volition beryllium capable to scope it connected time,” Doaa told Al Jazeera. “We are not asking for peculiar treatment. We lone privation the accidental to scope our universities and statesman our studies similar students everyplace successful the world.”