Gaza students' scholarship dreams blocked by travel restrictions and bureaucracy

Mariam al-Najar, twenty-four, from Khan Younis, opened an email two weeks after submitting her application to the University of Cassino and Southern Lazio in Italy. The university had offered her a place in a master's program in economics and management. For a moment, the years of studying felt like they had led somewhere. "Being accepted was like a ray of light that suddenly appeared and gave me a sense of life and hope again," she told Al Jazeera. The scholarship represented more than tuition and a degree. It was a way out—or at least the possibility of one—from a place where Israel's ongoing military operations have nearly destroyed the educational infrastructure entirely.

But the acceptance letter was only the beginning. Mariam applied for a visa and received approval. Then she reached out to organizations that might help her travel to Italy. Weeks passed. Israeli restrictions on exit from Gaza, tightened further by the US-Israeli conflict with Iran, meant she never received permission to leave. The autumn term was approaching. Every day that passed felt like a lost opportunity, another chance slipping away. "I did not believe that travel had become guaranteed, because the acceptance was only the beginning of the journey," she said. "There are still many steps and challenges that need to be overcome."

Mariam is not alone. Over five hundred Palestinian students from Gaza have received university offers from European institutions. Approximately two hundred sixty-nine were evacuated to Italy between 2025 and mid-2026, drawn by lower costs—around ten thousand two hundred euros annually compared to thirty thousand to sixty thousand pounds in the United Kingdom. But the numbers mask a deeper crisis. Students are losing scholarships and university places because they cannot leave Gaza. The obstacles are not academic. They are bureaucratic and political. Exit permits from Gaza are extremely difficult to obtain. Students must often transit through Israel and Jordan. Humanitarian corridors require intensive diplomatic negotiations that frequently fail to materialize.

Professor Giovanna Citti from the University of Bologna described the situation plainly: the main obstacle is not university admission itself, but the ability to leave Gaza and complete the procedures required to reach Italy. "Even after receiving admission, students need authorisation to leave Gaza and, in many cases, they have to transit through Israel and Jordan," she said. "Humanitarian corridors required intensive diplomatic negotiations because obtaining exit permits from Gaza is extremely difficult. The students are academically qualified and highly motivated. The problem is not their ability to study; the problem is creating a clear and reliable pathway for them to reach their universities."

Gaza40+, an initiative formed to help Palestinian students continue their education abroad, has registered more than twelve hundred students seeking assistance. Since its formation, the organization has helped one hundred twenty students leave Gaza, along with twenty family members. But the organization reports that registrations are increasing by five to ten per day, and the absence of a clear, consistent humanitarian pathway remains the fundamental barrier. Italy recently informed students that they must demonstrate Italian language proficiency before being considered for evacuation—another requirement that creates obstacles for people living through one of the world's worst humanitarian crises.

Doaa Fawzi Hamdan, a student at the University of Bologna, completed all required paperwork despite three years of educational disruption in Gaza, frequent power outages, weak internet, and forced displacement. She is still waiting for an Italian visa. "The most difficult part is receiving acceptance from a university but not knowing whether you will be able to reach it on time," she told Al Jazeera. "We are not asking for special treatment. We only want the opportunity to reach our universities and begin our studies like students everywhere in the world."

Nasser Taha from Gaza40+ articulated what the crisis demands: stronger coordination between governments, universities, and international organizations. "Students are not losing opportunities because of their academic qualifications or their commitment. They are losing them because of circumstances beyond their control," he said. Without that coordination, talented students will continue to watch their futures recede—not because they lack ability or determination, but because the systems meant to help them move have become nearly impossible to navigate.