Around 250 people turned out on Friday July 30th, at short notice, to protest outside the Dept of Justice at the denial of visas to 20 students from Gaza. In a shamelessly inhumane move, these accepted and paid-up students were denied visas because they had interruptions in their education and lacked documents – as if during a genocide, bombings of homes and schools, such things could be provided!

It bears repeating that all the students’ applications had been accepted by the colleges concerned and funding had already been agreed from different non-government sources.

Students from Gaza spoke at the protest, as well as students from Trinity, UCD, SETU, DCU, Limerick and other colleges. They voiced their outrage at this shockingly cruel move on the part of the government. They committed to further coordinated action in September when the students return to college.

No doubt in implementing this harsh policy, the Irish government is going along with the more stringent rules of the recent EU Migrant Pact. No doubt too the Irish government during the EU Presidency is bending over backwards to play along with the EU’s still close association with Israel.

But Irish students and the many Palestinian groups which attended the protest are having none of it. Shame on Jim O'Callaghan and his callous treatment of Gaza students. No more complicity with the Zionist perpetrators of genocide!

The broad base of organised supported can be seen in the speakers list below and the following open letter to Minister Jim O'Callaghan organised at short notice and signed by those who could not travel up on the weekday.

Roy Fox
PRESIDENT NCAD SU

Rachel Hickey
SIPTU UCD

Ghada Ashour
STUDENT FROM GAZA NCAD

Sean Ratcliff
TCD BDS

Erin Foley
SETU SU PRESIDENT

Cúan Hayes
University of Limerick Student Life VP for Diversity and Inclusion

Daniel Walsh
AMLÉ PRESIDENT

Katherine Mc Bride
DCU SU

Prof. Asad Abu Sharife (Retired)
RETIRED ALAZHAR UNI GAZA

Kathleen
IRISH HEALTH CARE WORKERS

with solidarity from
Sen. Laura Harmon
LABOUR

OPEN LETTER REGARDING THE DENIAL OF STUDENT VISAS TO PALESTINIAN STUDENTS AS DELIVERED 31 JULY 2026:

To the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs, and Migration, Deputy Jim O’Callaghan:

We express deep concern at the ongoing delays in visa processing for international students. We are particularly alarmed that nearly 20 students from Gaza, all of whom have secured fully funded scholarships for third-level education in Ireland beginning in September 2026, have had their visa applications refused by the Irish immigration authorities.

These rejections follow a recent wave of visa refusals affecting Iranian academics, with 81 out of 106 applications refused last year. Taken together, these developments raise serious concerns about the fairness and consistency of Ireland's visa processing system and indicate possible bias against applicants from the SWANA (South West Asia and North Africa) region. These systemic failures go beyond a delay: for many students living in territories affected by war or genocide, it has become a matter of safety and survival.

These refusals place the lives, education and futures of students at risk, particularly those fleeing Israel's ongoing genocide in Gaza and escalating attacks across the Occupied Palestinian Territories. The stated reasons for refusal were given as failure to account for gaps in education and proof of intent to return home, and non-availability of documents. These are absurd in the context of Israel’s ongoing genocide of Palestinians and wholesale destruction of Gazan infrastructure and of all the universities there.

A fully funded scholarship is not charity: International students have a right to study and gain the tools they need to improve the world they live in, as others continue to fail them.

We therefore call for immediate transparency and accountability from the Irish Government, the Department of Justice, and the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs, and Migration. Such arbitrary rulings would indicate that Ireland is adopting an increasingly harsh approach which is preventing migrants seeking safety. This is deeply troubling. We demand from the Minister of Justice:

● A detailed explanation of the criteria on which these visas were denied, including an explanation of how students from Gaza, where nearly all infrastructure has been destroyed, can be expected to meet the stated requirements.

● To approve the study visas for the 20 funded Gazan students, and all Palestinian students seeking to study in Ireland.

● A full investigation into potential bias against SWANA applicants within the Department of Justice

As of now, more than 4,000 people have signed a petition demanding admission of the students from Gaza into Ireland. The people of Ireland are appalled at this denial of the right to education to young Palestinians even as they suffer what the Irish government agrees is a genocide of their people. The Department of Justice still has the opportunity to do the right thing - let them study!

Signed

Dublin Council of Trade Unions
Bray Council of Trade Unions
TUI ATU Sligo
UCD SIPTU
Teachers for Palestine
Academia for Palestine
UCD Academia For Palestine
MTU Staff for Palestine
ATU Friends of Palestine
Comhlámh Justice for Palestine
Ireland-Palestine Solidarity Campaign
Jews for Palestine Ireland
Pals for Palestine
Lucan Friends of Palestine
IPSC North Wicklow branch
Mothers Against Genocide
Irish Anti-war Movement
United Against Racism
Migrant Rights Centre
Movement of Asylum Seekers Ireland (MASI)
Casa Brasil Irlanda
Paul Murphy TD (People Before Profit)
Richard Boyd Barrett TD (People Before Profit)
Cllr Hazel de Nortúin, Dublin City Council (People Before Profit)
Cllr Conor Reddy, Dublin City Council (People Before Profit)
The Workers’ Party
Jim Roche, Vice Chair, Teachers Union of Ireland, Dublin Colleges Branch
Dave Peyton,Teachers Union of Ireland, Chair Blanchardstown Branch.
Maria Loftus, Assistant lecturer and SIPTU member, Dublin City University
Marnie Holborow, Associate Faculty, DCU
Farrel Corcoran Emeritus Professor DCU
Dr Maurice Coakley, formerly of Griffith College
Harry Browne TU Dublin
Jennie C Stephens. Professor of Climate Justice. Maynooth University
Eamon Rafter, Peace activist/ educator

People Before Profit

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