A second group of students from Gaza arrived in Ireland this morning to begin their academic journey across four Irish universities, reports RTE.
This group of 14 students is the latest to be evacuated from Gaza through an operation backed by the Department of Foreign Affairs.
Their journey out of Gaza saw them crossed by bus into Jordan and reached the capital city, Amman.
From Amman, they boarded a flight to Istanbul, Turkey, and from there continued on a Turkish Airlines flight to Dublin, which landed this morning, reports RTE.
Three weeks earlier, Ireland had welcomed 50 students from Gaza, who arrived in three separate groups over three consecutive days.
All of these evacuations stemmed from a highly complex and delicate operation that took several months, requiring exit permits from Gaza, Israeli approval for transit, and entry permissions from Jordan, reports RTE.
Ireland has played a leading role among European countries in relocating students from Gaza.
Sources involved in the operation say Ireland has granted visas and facilitated the evacuation of more students than any other EU member state, reports RTE.
Alongside the Irish-bound group that left Gaza on Wednesday night, 33 more students—who secured spots in UK universities—also exited. This group marks the first wave of students to be evacuated by the UK since the current conflict began.
Efforts to assist the students have been coordinated over the summer by the Department of Foreign Affairs, the Department of Further and Higher Education, and several Irish universities, focusing on both financial and emotional support, reports RTE.
As with the previous groups, the students arriving today were expected to be taken to a secure area at the airport for medical assessments and support.
Led by Trinity College, a total of 11 Irish universities have participated in the effort.
These include SETU, UCD, UL, Mary Immaculate College in Limerick, University of Galway, Maynooth University, ATU, RCSI, TU Dublin, and DCU, reports RTE.
All participating institutions have waived tuition fees for the students and collectively raised substantial funding to support their stay in Ireland. All funds have come from private and non-governmental sources.
Contributions have come in through university foundations and formal fundraising channels from both Irish and international donors, including some who have remained anonymous, reports RTE.
“The amount of goodwill has been breathtaking”, Dr Emma Stokes, Vice President for Global Engagement at Trinity College said, reports RTE.
Still, the number of students in Gaza seeking a way out remains overwhelming. One individual who spoke to RTÉ News described the demand as “an avalanche”.
Speaking on RTÉ News at One Dr Stokes said it has been a “privilege” to be involved in the operation, reports RTE.
“It’s an enormous tribute to so many parts of our society…and to the students themselves,” she said, reports RTE.
“They universities have worked incredibly closely together, in a way that has been unprecedented,” reports RTE.
She acknowledged how “unimaginably difficult” it must be for students to leave their families behind for a chance to study in safety, and praised the diplomatic efforts of the Department of Foreign Affairs, whose team “brilliantly managed” the process.
Dr Stokes said the students who arrived during Easter, along with a smaller group from the previous year, have had some time to heal from the trauma they endured, reports RTE.
However, those who arrived a few weeks ago and today are immediately stepping into the academic term, as the semester has already begun.
“We are making sure that every support that is needed for these students is in place, but we’re also learning as we go along,” she said, reports RTE.
“These are students who have left a genocide,” reports RTE.
Colleges abroad are now reaching out to Irish institutions for guidance on supporting students from Gaza who have experienced trauma. But Irish universities acknowledge that they are also navigating new territory.
Dr Stokes said the learning is being led by those students, reports RTE.
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