Travel restrictions – from Israel and Europe – trap students in Gaza
Mariam al-Najar, a 24-year-old student from Khan Younis in Gaza, was waiting for a message that could change her life. When an email arrived two
Mariam al-Najar, a 24-year-old student from Khan Younis in Gaza, was waiting for a message that could change her life. When an email arrived two weeks after she applied for a scholarship from the University of Cassino and Southern Lazio in Italy, she felt, for a brief moment at least, that years of studying had finally paid off. The university confirmed that she had been offered a place for a master’s degree in economics and management, one of the few times during a long period of despair that Mariam had felt any hope about the future. “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. “I was applying for scholarships while feeling deeply hopeless and I never expected to receive an acceptance.” The scholarship offer was not just an opportunity for Mariam to continue higher studies at a leading university but also offered hope of a new future amid Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza. But securing a place at the university opened the door to a whole new set of challenges for Mariam. Italy was a main destination for the evacuation of Palestinian students from the Gaza Strip between 2025 and 2026. Approximately 229 students were evacuated from Gaza prior to May 2026, with another group of around 40 students joining in June 2026. Part of the reason for the high demand is attributed to the lower living and tuition costs in Italy compared to many other European countries. In Italy, the annual figure for students is around €10,200 ($11,773), compared with the United Kingdom and 30,000 pounds ($40,408) to 60,000 pounds ($80,820) per year. For Mariam, these still substantial costs were not the immediate challenge, the difficulty was how to reach Italy amid Israel’s siege on Gaza. “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 applied for a visa and was approved, before she then contacted several organisations who may have been able to facilitate her journey to Italy. But Israeli restrictions on travel, made even tougher as a result of the US-Israeli war on Iran, mean that she has not yet been given permission to leave Gaza. That has put her arrival at the university in time for the start of autumn term in doubt. Every passing day in besieged Gaza brings a sense of lost opportunities for Mariam, particularly as Israel has almost completely destroyed the enclave’s educational sector and infrastructure. “It feels as though this is not just a journey for education; it has become a major challenge. Many students have had their visa applications rejected more than once and there are obstacles preventing students from travelling and continuing their studies abroad,” she said. “After years of trying and holding on to hope, losing this opportunity or having my studies postponed has become a nightmare that I fear could come true. This scholarship represents more than just education for me. It is a path towards a future I have tried to reach despite all circumstances.” Many students in Gaza have faced similar offers to study abroad, but seen their hopes crushed due to difficulties in travel and funding. “Behind every application and every scholarship, there is a student with a dream who is simply trying not to lose their future,” she said. “The scholarship is not just an opportunity to study; it is a hope that the years of our resilience and struggle during the war will not turn into a lost dream.” The Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it works with universities to help facilitate travel for students from Gaza to Italy. But the main obstacle facing them is not obtaining university admission itself, but navigating a Kafkaesque bureaucracy, both to leave Gaza and to enter Italy, said Professor Giovanna Citti from the University of Bologna.
The BriefWire