€1.2 Million Gift for Gaza Students in Doubt Over Irish Visa Refusals

A significant philanthropic donation of €1.2 million intended for students from Gaza to pursue master's programs at University College Dublin (UCD) is now in doubt. The UCD Foundation, which manages such donations, has formally requested the donor to hold off on transferring the funds until clarity is achieved regarding study visa approvals from the Irish Government.

The substantial gift was earmarked to support more than 20 students from Gaza who had been offered places in one and two-year master's programs at UCD. These programs span critical fields including public health, engineering, medicine, and urban design and planning. However, recent reports of a high rate of visa refusals for students from Gaza accepted into Irish universities have cast a shadow over the donation.

In correspondence seen by RTÉ News, the UCD Foundation informed the donor of its strong recommendation to postpone the transfer. This advice is based on the knowledge that visas have already been rejected for some Gazan students scheduled to attend UCD in September. The foundation assured the donor that the UCD Global team is actively working with Irish government departments to resolve the situation, though no guarantees could be provided.

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in consultation with our Finance Director, and based on the knowledge that we are aware of visas being rejected for Gazan students planning to attend UCD this September, it is our strong recommendation that you wait until we receive confirmation regarding student visas for the academic year 2026-2027 before transferring your total philanthropic gift to UCD Foundation

Accompanying the letter was a spreadsheet detailing the students, their chosen courses, and the allocated funding for each. Separately, the Irish Universities Association (IUA) has formally written to the Minister for Higher and Further Education, James Lawless, concerning the denial of study visas. Sources indicate the IUA was informed by the Department of Foreign Affairs that a comprehensive government agreement, similar to that established for Ukrainian students, is necessary.

Data reveals that as of July 29, 51 long-term study applications from Palestinians have been rejected, with 22 approved. This follows earlier figures showing 27 rejections and 9 approvals by the end of June. Numerous students from Gaza, who had secured fully-funded scholarships, have reported their study visa applications being rejected this month, leaving them on the brink of departure.

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Please be comforted by the fact that our UCD Global team are working hard with Irish government departments to resolve the situation and we remain hopefully but there is no guarantee