Sir, – Today we received a letter from five students in Gaza seeking support. All were accepted by Irish educational institutions for September 2026 and have paid their tuition and university fees, yet their student visa applications were rejected because they had not demonstrated strongly enough that they intended to return to Gaza after their studies.Given the ongoing war and unconscionable loss of life, safe return to those circumstances is inherently uncertain. Students should not be penalised for living in an active war zone.It reminds me of the time Ireland rejected Jewish children seeking safety, citing neutrality and concerns that their presence might incite anti-Semitism. In 2003, then minister for justice Michael McDowell apologised for past Irish policies that had failed to accept Jewish people escaping Nazi persecution. That apology, however, came too late for those who lost their lives.If an apology is eventually offered to the people of Gaza, it may come too late for these five students.TERESA BUCZKOWSKA,CEO, Immigrant Council of Ireland,Dublin.