Gaza students await evacuation to Italy amid bureaucratic delays

Dozens of Gaza students who secured scholarships to Italian universities are caught in a bureaucratic limbo, waiting for evacuation from the conflict zone. Despite a government university corridor project that has enrolled over 200 Palestinian students in Italian colleges since 2025, approximately 50 scholarship recipients remain stranded.

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The state could resolve this situation very quickly.

These students have met all the necessary requirements, mirroring those who have already successfully relocated to Italy and San Marino. However, they are still awaiting clearance to leave the Israeli-occupied territory, where higher education institutions have been largely destroyed. Between September 2025 and June, 246 scholarship recipients were evacuated through Italy's "IUPALS" program, according to the foreign ministry. Yet, no evacuations have occurred since June 1.

Students still in Gaza describe a "long waiting period, the uncertainty about the travel date, and the fear of losing an educational opportunity obtained after great effort." One student, who requested anonymity, expressed concern that bureaucratic issues might be hindering their progress. Anna Giada Altomare, founder of the Fiori dai Cannoni charity, urged Italian authorities to expedite the process, stating, "The state could resolve this situation very quickly."

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It is the state that should accelerate the process.

The Italian foreign ministry acknowledged the "extremely complex operational context" but stated that evacuation timelines "fall outside the remit of Italian authorities" and depend primarily on "decisions and authorisations of relevant foreign authorities." The Israeli foreign ministry had not immediately responded to requests for comment.

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working in an extremely complex operational context

Meanwhile, students like Nada Abunada and Mohamed Arafat, who successfully reached Italy to study economics and business administration respectively, shared their relief. They recounted the destruction of universities in Gaza due to the war and the suddenness of their own evacuation, which allowed little time for goodbyes. Their successful enrollment highlights the potential for educational opportunities, contrasting sharply with the plight of those still waiting.

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falls outside the remit of Italian authorities and depends primarily on decisions and authorisations of relevant foreign authorities