COLLEGE owners yesterday called on President Tassos Papadopoulos to ease the government’s entry requirements for foreign students, after the number of students enrolling at local colleges fell by as much as 90 per cent.
According to the Cyprus Association of Private Tertiary Educational Institutions (PASISTE) president, Demetris Christoforou, the implementation of a new government policy had reduced the number of applications and arrivals of new foreign students by 80 to 90 per cent.
In February the Interior Ministry introduced a new regulation requiring students coming from Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, China and Sri Lanka to acquire a visa from the Cyprus consul in their country of residence following an interview with a unit of policemen sent to the said country. The measure was introduced as a means to control the number of foreigners seeking political asylum, which has grossly escalated. Police believe a large portion of asylum seekers had initially posed as students to gain entry into Cyprus and work during the time it took the government to assess their asylum applications.
But, PASISTE said the majority of students were unable to attend the interviews, as the policemen did not remain in the country for longer than a few days, resulting in fewer interviews being conducted than had been applied for. Students’ applications were also rejected for minor reasons and at the judgement of the police officers who had received no formal training.
PASISTE warned that the island’s reputation abroad as a hub of tertiary education was already suffering and that this would have an effect on Cyprus’ economy.
The colleges complained that last-minute changes to entry requirements without consulting them first resulted in giving them an image of being unreliable and sloppy.
“The majority of students who do not get a place go to universities in the occupied areas…Other European countries, such as England, Greece, Italy and Ireland as well as Eastern European countries have begun a battle to entice foreign students from the very same countries that we are pushing away.
“All these countries have recognised that foreign students not only provide an important source of foreign exchange, but that it allows them to project their cultures to new countries.”
PASISTE suggested abolishing the new system and reverting to the previous procedure whereby the Immigration department granted entry visas. The colleges also said the exact documents the foreign students had to present to the embassies and consuls should be outlined and to avoid making last minute changes. Finally students should be allowed to work for up to 20 hours a week.
The colleges maintain that if the government failed to implement their suggestions there would be serious ramifications: the loss of significant foreign exchange at a time when the Cyprus economy was facing difficulties; the dismissal of teaching and administrative college staff; the closure of many colleges which had made tremendous financial investments over the years and had relied on the attendance of foreign students for their survival and a political cost brought on by the number of students going to the occupied areas, instead of being influenced by the Republic and acting as ambassadors of Cyprus abroad.
