Student says visa refusal destroyed hope that sustained him through three years of genocide

Ahmed Abuhassan from Gaza, was awarded a fully-funded scholarship by University College Dublin

Ahmed Abuhassan is one of 114 Palestinian students this year refused study visas to take up scholarships in Irish third-level institutions.

A 22-year-old student from Gaza whose student visa refusal was upheld on appeal has said the decision destroyed the hope that had sustained him through three years of genocide.

Ahmed Abuhassan is one of 114 Palestinian students this year refused study visas to take up scholarships in Irish third-level institutions.

Earlier this month, Mr Abuhassan was one of four Gazan students who took a High Court challenge against justice minister Jim O’Callaghan’s decision to deny them visas.

Those legal actions were settled after Mr O’Callaghan agreed to expedite their appeals to the refusals.

While the other three students had their visas granted, Mr Abuhassan lost his appeal, a decision the computer science student said had “broken” him.

Mr Abuhassan said his visa refusal was upheld on financial grounds, because of a doubt around his finances, but he added this had ignored the fact that his scholarship was fully funded by University College Dublin.

“The decision to deny my appeal destroyed the hope I held onto through three years of this genocide, and it treated those years as if they counted for nothing, every day I spent competing for this place, working for it and sacrificing for it,” Mr Abuhassan told the Irish Examiner.

“I have a fully-funded scholarship, and I chose Ireland because Ireland was one of the first European countries which stood publicly in solidarity with Palestine and stood loudly behind human rights and behind the Palestinian cause.

“My future, and my life with it, now rests on one decision of the minister for justice.

“I appeal to Mr O'Callaghan's humanity to reconsider my file.” 

The Department of Justice said it does not comment on individual cases.

A legal challenge taken by a Palestinian student who was refused a visa is currently before the High Court, and its outcome could potentially affect 38 similar lawsuits.

In that case, lawyers representing a 20-year-old engineering student, who has been granted a fully funded scholarship at University College Cork, are arguing that the refusal was unlawful on several grounds.

The student’s lawyers claim she had provided a letter from UCC proving her place on the engineering degree, a proof of waiver of her tuition fee, and proof of access to money during the period of study.

The State is opposing the student’s judicial review challenge.

A decision on the case is expected from Mr Justice Anthony Barr by early next week.