Belgian university rectors condemn government deadlock over Gaza scholarship students
Rectors say 13 students were competitively selected for scholarships and accuse some coalition partners of losing their “moral compass”
BRUSSELS (MNTV) — Several Belgian university rectors have criticized the government’s failure to agree on allowing 13 scholarship students from Gaza to enter the country, calling the political deadlock “unacceptable.”
In an open letter published Monday in the Belgian daily De Standaard, the rectors said the students had been selected by independent committees through a competitive scholarship process.
“This is not about illegal migrants,” they said, arguing that the dispute was instead a question of political will.
“The moral compass of some government partners is lost,” the rectors wrote.
They stressed that the students would not be placed in asylum centers upon arrival but would move directly into student accommodation and begin their academic programs.
The rectors described them as highly qualified students whose fields of study could also contribute to Gaza’s eventual reconstruction.
“They are committed students with an excellent CV,” the letter said. “The programmes they are pursuing here also align with Gaza’s reconstruction needs.”
According to the rectors, the students intend to return to Gaza after completing their studies and help rebuild the territory.
“The doors of our lecture halls remain open,” they added.
The appeal followed a proposal by Belgian Foreign Minister Maxime Prevot to evacuate the 13 students from Gaza and bring them to Belgium.
The federal government, however, has reportedly failed to reach agreement on the plan, leaving the stu
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