Pressure is growing on the Department of Justice after new figures revealed that, between January and mid-September 2026, 115 visa applications from Palestinian students were refused, compared with just 22 refusals in the whole of 2025. The numbers came to light in the Seanad yesterday and have since been highlighted in an Irish Times letter published on 23 September, which brands the policy ‘casual cruelty’. Campaigners say the refusals are blocking fully-funded scholarships at universities including Trinity College Dublin, UCD and South East Technological University. One applicant, 19-year-old Hazem Faris from Gaza, described the rejection as “the worst feeling I have ever experienced”, noting that the Israeli-Egyptian blockade already makes overseas study logistically fraught. The Department maintains that applications are assessed case-by-case and that security vetting has become more complex since the escalation of conflict in Gaza. However, academic institutions warn that Ireland’s reputation as an inclusive study destination is at stake. University College Dublin reports a 40 % increase in deferrals by students from conflict zones who fear their visas may be rejected late in the process. For multinationals dependent on Ireland’s graduate talent pool—particularly in pharma, tech and med-device sectors—the trend is worrying. HR teams are already seeing a dip in applications for internship and co-op placements from the wider Middle East. Several firms are lobbying for a fast-track ‘at-risk scholar’ route modelled on Canada’s Student Refugee Program. Practically, mobility advisers are urging companies to start immigration processes for inbound students and graduate hires at least six months ahead and to prepare contingency remote-work options should visas not materialise in time for semester start dates. Universities, meanwhile, are expanding ‘digital first-year’ models that allow scholars to begin courses online while reapplying.
Source: The Irish Times
