Sir, – For the past number of weeks, much has been written and said about the humanitarian injustice of refusing visas to Palestinian students from Gaza who have secured places and scholarships at Irish universities. But with academics and university leaders coming out to support the students, what does this say about the State’s relationship with its own universities?
Our universities have worked with these students, offered them places and in many cases, raised substantial funds to help with their fees. Trinity College administrators have described the visa refusals as “deeply concerning”, while students and teachers from various other colleges have protested at the doors of Minister for Justice Jim O’Callaghan.
This is more than a dispute over immigration paperwork. It is an institutional failure.
Our universities are tasked by one arm of Government to recruit, nurture talent, and to promote Ireland as a welcoming place to study. Yet when they do precisely that another arm of the Government can say the academic judgment of the university is not enough.
RM Block
O’Callaghan should urgently review these cases, work with the universities concerned and use the discretion available to him and allow these students to study here. – Yours, etc,
CLLR HAZEL CHU,
Green Party,
City Hall,
Dublin 2.
Sir, – Emma Stokes (“We can and should do better for Gaza students seeking to study in Ireland,” August 24th) reveals three problems with university leadership in Ireland.
[ Visa refusals dismay Gazan students and undermine our academic institutionsOpens in new window ]
The first is the contempt for native Irish students. It is disgraceful that university leaders would spend £4 million on students from Gaza when so many Irish students fail to fulfil their potential because they cannot afford suitable accommodation or need to take part-time jobs.
The second is their contempt for Irish taxpayers. Most student from Gaza will seek asylum status, and impose huge long-term costs on the State as they then seek to bring their families here also.
The third is their arrogant belief that they can use the universities to further their private political agendas.
The Government needs to make all university leaders who support bringing students from Gaza here personally liable for the long term costs incurred by the State as a result. That will encourage clearer thinking about the real costs involved. – Yours, etc,
DR DAVID WOODS,
Department of Classics,
University College Cork.
