In France, the immigration bill was passed by the National Assembly on Tuesday December 19, 2023. In this text, one section also did not fail to make noise: that which concerns international students. Students who could soon pay a deposit, to prove that they have enough money to return to their country of origin. Registration fees could also increase for students from outside the European Union. Report to the International University City to meet these students who have come from far away.
“ I came here, to Paris, for a specialized master’s degree after my engineering degree. Obviously, there is the family that is missing, the habits that are missing! But hey, at the same time, there is also this aspect of discovery which is not bad. It’s been a good experience so far. » Christian is Cameroonian. He has been studying in France since September 2023. “ Life is also a little more expensive, and almost everything goes into the rent. It’s not easy at first, but after that it goes, it goes… You get used to it. Like I said, I’ve been here for four months! I’m starting to get into the rhythm », he puts things into perspective.
He does not know all the contents of the immigration law, but is surprised that a section is devoted to international students: “ I don’t understand this stigma. They come to pursue training, to acquire more knowledge and access jobs that are perhaps not available in Africa, because there are certain fields that are not open in Africa. And if the student wants to study in this field and it is not very developed in his country… He has no choice, in fact. »
The misunderstanding of the deposit
Some people have no choice. Others seek excellence. Like Sinha. After studying engineering in India – his country of origin – and then in the United Kingdom and Switzerland, his teachers recommended France: “ I am interested in artificial intelligence, I need a theoretical approach through mathematics. My teachers then told me to come to France, because the level of maths is very good. »
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He was also interested in immigration law. He blocks the deposit project for international students: “ I have the impression that we are talking about the deposit for an apartment to prove that I am not going to damage anything. I don’t quite understand the message. On the contrary, we should do everything so that qualified students and young people want to come. It doesn’t matter where they come from, for the good of society. »
Loss of skills for France
An immigration law that does not encourage foreigners to come and study in France is also what Guillaume Gellé believes. He is president of the University of Reims Champagne-Ardenne, and of France Université: “ International students trained in France, some of them, also stay to work in France, around 20%. They therefore bring all their skills to our country’s economy. In our research units, we have 40% of our doctoral students who are of foreign origin. This law will produce negative effects, since it will set our country back on these various subjects. »
Since the bill was passed, dozens of universities, business and engineering schools have stepped up to the plate. Their leaders denounce measures which “ harm the international attractiveness of French higher education. »
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