- Ireland’s Department of Justice refused 103 long-stay visas and granted 39 to Palestinian students by August twenty-first, twenty twenty-six.
- Approval rate dropped to 27.5 percent after 130 applications, far below the twenty twenty-five rate of 83.8 percent.
- Groups said 103 scholarship students were refused and urged the department to speed up appeals that can take 12 months.
Ireland's Department of Justice refused 103 long-stay Palestinian student visa applications and granted 39 by August 21, 2026, after receiving 130 applications. That left an approval rate of 27.5 percent among decisions made. A separate count put 41 Palestinian nationals on student visas in 2026 when short-stay and long-stay cases were combined. The numbers moved hard.
Ciarán Casey said the system for Palestinians still runs through the same immigration route used for other non-EU applicants. He said the department treats each file individually. The rules stay fixed.
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“In common with the position for all non-EU nationals, entry of Palestinian nationals is undertaken through the existing legal immigration pathways available. Palestinian nationals are visa required and must have a valid Irish visa before they seek to enter Ireland. Each application, regardless of nationality, is decided on its own merit.”
The figures changed quickly in August. On August 13, 2026, the count stood at 51 refusals and 22 acceptances. By August 16, 2026, it had risen to 97 refusals and 36 grants. Four days later, it reached 103 refusals and 39 grants. The shift was sharp. In 2025, the approval rate for Palestinian long-stay study visas had been 83.8 percent.
Civil society groups said on September 1, 2026 that at least 103 Palestinian students with fully or partially funded scholarships at Irish institutions had been refused and were seeking appeals. They asked the minister and the department to “immediately prioritise and expedite” the cases. Appeals can take up to 12 months. Courses move faster than that.
Scholarship offers met a Gaza exit problem
The students had places at Trinity College Dublin, University of Limerick, University College Dublin, Atlantic Technological University and Mary Immaculate College. They had already cleared the academic part. Then the travel part stalled.
They were trying to leave Gaza under war conditions. That made every delay heavier. A seat in class did not guarantee a seat on a plane.
The department tied refusals to documents and return plans
The department said Palestinian nationals must use the existing legal immigration pathways and that each application is judged on its own merit. Reported refusal reasons included insufficient documentation, gaps in education and employment history, insufficient evidence of an intention to return to Gaza after studies, incomplete or insufficient financial evidence, insufficient English, and lack of reason to return to Gaza after studies. The list was long.
Standards were cited. Supporters disagreed.
Protests and appeals kept the pressure on
Students and supporters protested outside the Department of Justice in August. They demanded visa approvals for Gazan students. The International Centre of Justice for Palestinians, Action Aid Ireland, Amnesty International Ireland, Christian Aid Ireland, Global Legal Action Network and Sadaka, The Ireland Palestine Alliance all backed the push.
Their appeal on September 1 kept the pressure on. The group said the cases should move first, and fast.
