Student Visas

I thank the Minister of State for taking this Topical Issue this afternoon. I am raising the case of Ahmed Abuhassan, a 22-year-old student from Gaza who has been accepted onto UCD's bachelor of science in computer science programme with a full scholarship but has been unable to commence his course because his student visa was refused. Mr. Abuhassan was due to commence his studies on 7 September, but due to the visa refusal, he remains in Gaza, where, if the understandably tenuous internet connection permits, I understand he hopes to watch the Minister of State's response today. The reason given for the refusal of Mr. Abuhassan's visa was financial. The Department is of the opinion that he does not have sufficient financial support in place to cover his studies. However, the UCD Foundation has made it very clear to the Department that, as the financial sponsor of his studies, it is fully committed to providing the necessary support for him. Despite that, the visa refusal still remains in place. It is important that Mr. Abuhassan's own words are heard as part of this discussion to show the human reality behind this visa refusal. He has given me a summary in his own words and I will read it into the record: My name is Ahmed Abuhassan, I am 22, and I am writing from the one room I repaired in what is left of my family's home in Gaza City, which an airstrike brought down over our heads in October 2023. I spent two years displaced in the south, in tents that held off neither the summer heat nor the winter cold, chasing every charging point for a borrowed Laptop with a cracked screen and any signal steady enough to reach the world, and after close to three years of applying, University College Dublin gave me a place in Computer Science with a full four-year scholarship. Ireland refused my visa in July, and over August and September I watched other students leave Gaza for Ireland while I stayed behind, first refused and then waiting on my appeal. On 9 October my appeal was refused on one point only, a doubt about funding, without a single question to me, to UCD or to my solicitors, when one phone call would have settled it. The next day UCD's own Foundation answered that doubt in writing, as my primary financial sponsor for the whole degree, and my solicitors sent its letter to the Department that night and asked for an urgent reconsideration. Nobody has answered. That decision broke me, and it destroyed the hope I had held onto through three years of this genocide. It treated those three years as if they counted for nothing, every day I spent competing for this place, working for it and sacrificing for it, in a war that took almost everything else from us. And the harm does not stop at the loss of my place and my scholarship. A visa refusal stays on my record, and I will have to declare it in every application I ever make to study anywhere, so this one decision counts against every other chance I might still have. This week my classmates in Dublin sat an assessment in one of my first modules, and I could not be in the room because I am still in Gaza. UCD is holding my place until 2 November. My future, and my life with it, now rests on one decision of the Minister for Justice. I appeal to his humanity to reconsider my file urgently, with the Foundation’s letter in front of him, before I lose everything I have described. The request here is very clear and straightforward. Will the Minister of State intervene with her officials to ask them to swiftly review the information provided by the UCD Foundation clearly outlining its willingness to fund a full scholarship and ensure that his case is dealt with in a common-sense and empathetic manner?

I thank Deputy O'Gorman for raising this important matter. Before I begin, I should say that it would not be appropriate for me to comment in detail on an individual visa case. Visa applications and appeals are considered through established processes and on the basis of the information available at the time a decision is made. As there are live judicial review proceedings before the courts in relation to study visa applicants, I must also be careful not to comment on matters that are currently before the courts. What I can do is outline the policy that applies to study visa applications from Palestinian nationals and the processes that govern those. I am acutely aware of the grave humanitarian crisis in Gaza and the exceptionally difficult circumstances facing many of those seeking to travel overseas for educational opportunities. My Department continues to work closely with colleagues across the Government in responding to the challenges arising from that situation. There has been no change in policy in relation to visa applications from Palestinian nationals. There are no special visa arrangements for Palestinian students and applications continue to be assessed against the same immigration requirements that apply to all visa-required nationals seeking to study in Ireland. Every application is considered on its own merits, having regard to the information and documentation submitted, the circumstances of the applicant, the purpose of the proposed travel, any relevant immigration history and the requirements of Ireland's immigration policy and legislation. Decisions are made on the basis of the information available to the decision maker at the time the application or appeal is considered. Palestinian nationals are visa required and must hold a valid Irish visa before seeking to travel to Ireland. Visa applications form part of a screening process designed to establish that a person has a legitimate basis for travel before they arrive in the State. All applicants are assessed through this process and the same standards apply to all visa-required nationals. Officials in my Department's visa division are in regular contact with the embassy regarding applications from residents of Gaza, the West Bank and Lebanon. Both Departments work together to ensure that applications from Palestinian nationals who meet the relevant criteria are, wherever possible, processed as swiftly as possible. In relation to higher education, Palestinian nationals continue to avail of existing legal immigration pathways to Ireland in order to pursue educational opportunities. Between 1 January 2026 and 30 September 2026, 50 study visa applications from Palestinian nationals were granted and 115 were refused. The reasons for refusal are communicated directly to applicants and can vary depending on the individual circumstances of each case. It is important to emphasise that the award of a scholarship or acceptance by an Irish educational institution, while clearly an important factor, does not in itself determine the outcome of a visa application. Visa applications remain subject to the requirements of Ireland's immigration framework and must be assessed in a fair, transparent and consistent manner. Refusal decisions can arise for a variety of reasons. These may relate to documentation requirements, financial requirements, English language requirements or other matters relevant to the assessment of the application. The reasons for refusal are communicated directly to applicants and can vary significantly from case to case. It is open to any applicant to appeal a refusal decision within two months. Appeals are considered by a visa appeals officer following a full examination of the information and documentation submitted in support of the appeal. My Department progresses appeals as quickly as possible and issues decisions as soon as full consideration has been given to each case. There must be a fair and rules-based process for all applicants. Decisions must be made on the basis of the evidence before the decision maker and in accordance with Ireland's immigration laws. That is how consistency and fairness are maintained across the visa system.

The Minister of State just said that there must be a fair and rules-based process for all of this. She also outlined some of the reasons for rejections of visa applications. The reason outlined to Mr. Abuhassan was that he did not meet the financial criteria. We have it clearly and in no uncertain terms from the UCD Foundation that that reason does not exist. The UCD Foundation is providing the necessary funding. I quote from its letter: Through its Humanitarian Fund, the UCD Foundation committed funding to Mr. Ahmed Abuhassan in May 2026 and this funding was listed in a UCD sponsorship letter dated 27th May 2026 ... I hereby confirm that this funding arrangement remains in place ... the UCD Foundation confirms its commitment to ensuring that the necessary financial support is available to Mr. Abuhassan for the duration of his degree programme at UCD. Therefore, the reason for this rejection does not exist. It is answered. It is addressed. There is no question over the funding here. If we are talking about fairness and consistency, I ask that the Minister of State's officials would look at this letter, which is in her Department's possession, and re-examine. It should not have to be dragged through a judicial review. The Department can save some money here. I do not think it will win that judicial review when this letter comes before the court. Let us resolve this issue in advance. The Minister of State has stated there is no change in policy in relation to visa applications for Palestinian nationals and she noted the number of refusals of visas for Palestinian nationals this year, a 79% refusal rate. It is worth noting that the refusal rate for Palestinian national visa applications last year in 2025 was 13%. It has gone from 13% to 79% in one year. If that does not look like a change in policy, I do not know what does.

Unfortunately, I must conclude where I began. It would not be appropriate for me to comment on an individual case, nor would it be appropriate for me to comment on matters that are currently before the courts. That principle exists to ensure that visa decisions are made through established legal processes and that all applicants are treated fairly and consistently. However, I can say that there has been no change in policy in relation to Palestinian students seeking to study in Ireland. Applications continue to be assessed against the same criteria that apply to all visa-required nationals and each case continues to be considered on its own individual merits. I fully recognise the importance of educational opportunities for Palestinian students and I acknowledge the very difficult circumstances facing many people in Gaza. I also recognise the efforts being made by Irish higher education institutions to provide opportunities for students affected by conflict and instability. However, visa applications must remain subject to Ireland's immigration framework and decisions must be made on the basis of the information provided and the applicable legal requirements. A scholarship offer or university place is an important factor but it cannot displace the requirement for an application to satisfy the relevant immigration criteria. There must also be confidence that immigration decisions are made through a transparent and rules-based process. Decisions cannot be determined by public commentary, media attention or political pressure. They must be determined on the basis of evidence available and applicable law in each individual case. I reassure the House that there is no special refusal policy in place in respect of Palestinian nationals. The Department remains conscious of the exceptionally difficult circumstances facing people in Gaza and the wider region and continues to engage closely with colleagues across the Government in responding to those serious challenges. At the same time, it is necessary that immigration decisions continue to be made in accordance with the law and on the basis of the evidence available in each individual case. I assure the Deputy that the Department will continue to process these applications and any subsequent appeals as efficiently as possible, while ensuring that decisions are made consistently, fairly and in accordance with Ireland's immigration laws. Given the live judicial review proceedings before the courts in relation to study visa applicants, it would not be appropriate for me to comment any further.