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Student unions call on European education institutions to find alternative methods for enrolment
Belarusian students who have fled the country due to political persecution are facing many challenges when navigating the “strict” bureaucracy of European higher education institutions, student unions have highlighted.
Thousands of politically active Belarusian students have been expelled from the country or subjected to arrests, fines and imprisonment after students and teachers were involved in widespread protests against the contested re-election of Alexander Lukashenko as president in 2020.
According to the European Students’ Union and the Belarusian Students’ Association, it is difficult for exiled students to continue their education in Europe due to the administrative hurdles European regulations throw up for international applicants.
These include obtaining student visas and passports, providing proof of obtained qualifications and, ultimately, demonstrating financial stability, the two groups said in a briefing they released on 9 May.
“Most students who have left Belarus and had to stop their studies are looking for an opportunity to continue or restart their studies abroad. However, the application process to European higher education institutions is usually very bureaucratic and imposes strict regulations on international applicants which are hard to meet,” the groups said.
Challenges and solutions
They said these hurdles are related to the lack of specific regulations for Belarus and the inability of students to safely return to the country to obtain the necessary documentation.
“Citizens are required to apply for education documents exclusively in person or through a representative with power of attorney issued solely in Belarus. This poses significant challenges, as it compels individuals to return to Belarus for document authentication or entrust representatives, which may involve risks of arrest by Belarusian authorities,” they said.
“Belarusians abroad are no longer entitled to renew their passports at consulates or embassies, making it only possible in Belarus. For this reason, some of them have already lost their Belarusian passport or are in risk of losing it in the next few years.”
The groups recommended that European higher education institutions should allow Belarusian students to enrol by using interviews and other methods besides presentation of diplomas to prove their abilities, and said institutions should waive fees.
They encouraged national student unions to advocate on Belarusian students’ behalf, and said Belarusian students themselves should contact non-governmental organisations and higher education institutions for support.