TRINITY COLLEGE DUBLIN has said it is “deeply concerning” that students from Gaza have had their visas refused despite being offered full scholarships to study in Ireland.

It comes as a protest is to take place on Wednesday afternoon outside the Department of Justice offices over the refusal for the Palestinian students to enter Ireland at St Stephen’s Green in Dublin.

The Labour Party and Social Democrats are calling on Justice Minister Jim O’Callaghan to urgently review the visa decisions and

More than half of a group of 59 Palestinian students awarded scholarships were refused permission to enter the country, affecting students who were due to begin courses next month at Trinity, University College Dublin (UCD), University of Limerick (UL) and NCAD.

The scholarships are fully or partially funded by Irish third-level institutions and are run through a ‘Universities of Sanctuary’ initiative.

Wednesday’s ‘Let Them Study’ demonstration at 4.30pm outside the department’s offices at St Stephen’s Green in Dublin has been organised by students’ unions at Trinity, the National College of Art and Design (NCAD) and Dublin City University.

In an email to staff and students, Trinity’s incoming and outgoing vice-presidents jointly told them of their concerns over the refusals.

Many of you will be aware of reports that a number of prospective students from Gaza who were awarded scholarships to study in Ireland, including at Trinity, have recently had their visa applications refused,” said Emma K Stokes and Alan O’Connor.

“This situation is deeply concerning,” they said, adding that the students had “overcome extraordinary challenges” to secure places at Irish universities.

“At a time when access to education can offer both opportunity and hope, it is particularly distressing to see further obstacles placed in their way,” Stokes and O’Connor said.

They added that the Trinity Global department is working across the university and wider higher education sector to advocate for prospective students.

After everything they have endured, barriers of this nature should not stand in the way of students seeking to pursue their education and, for some, to leave a war zone to continue their studies in safety.

The Trinity academics added that students and staff may wish to contact their local TDs, O’Callaghan and the Minister of State with responsibility for Migration, Colm Brophy, to “express concern and to encourage an urgent review” of the situation.

The Department of justice has been contacted about the growing controversy.

Opposition parties’ response

Labour leader Ivana Bacik, who will speak at the protest taking place today, said that Ireland’s long-expressed solidarity for Palestinians “must mean something in practice”, as she urged government intervention.

“These are exceptional students who have earned their places through academic excellence,” Bacik said.

“They have been offered fully funded scholarships by Irish universities, yet many are now being denied the opportunity to study in Ireland because of visa decisions that fail to reflect the reality they are living through.”

The Dublin Bay South TD added that she would be speaking directly with O’Callaghan about the issue.

The Social Democrats accused the government of “gross hypocrisy”, as it outlined that the scholarship programme is administered by the Department of Foreign Affairs in close cooperation with the Department of Further and Higher Education.

“It is therefore baffling that many Palestinian students who have been offered fully funded third level placements under the scheme are now being refused visas by the Department of Justice,” said senator Patricia Stephenson, who is also the party’s foreign affairs spokesperson.

Labour’s higher education spokesperson and senator Laura Harmon said it was vital that the minister reviews the cases.

Harmon added that there needs to be a joined-up approach across the departments of justice, foreign affairs and further and higher education.

“We cannot have one part of Government supporting these students while another prevents them from travelling to Ireland,” Harmon said.