Minister opposes Gaza student’s challenge over refusal of visa to study at Trinity

The State is opposing a legal challenge over the Minister for Justice’s refusal to grant a visa allowing a student from Gaza to pursue a fully-funded engineering scholarship at Trinity College Dublin (TCD).

Almost 30 challenges similar to that by Hafez Alrayyes are being prepared on behalf of students who are still in Gaza, the High Court was told on Monday by senior counsel Blinne Ní Ghrálaigh.

Appearing with barrister Eamonn Dornan, instructed by Phoenix Law, Ní Ghrálaigh asked for an urgent hearing of Alrayyes’ application for leave to challenge, via judicial review proceedings, the July 15th refusal to grant a visa to take up a five-year funded scholarship to study engineering at TCD.

He also wants the Minister to prioritise the hearing of his appeal over the refusal.