Watch: ‘I feel broken’ – 80 students told to leave Malta after IEU closes

Students of a private ‘university’ in Gżira that had its licence revoked earlier this month have spoken of their “heartbreak” after their residence permits were cancelled by Identità without warning and they were ordered to leave the country.

More than 80 students at the International European University (IEU) were told on Friday their permits had been “revoked with immediate effect” and were ordered to leave the EU “as soon as possible” and no later than 30 days. They were given three working days to appeal the decision.

The education authorities revoked the IEU’s licence following an audit of the company, which faces a raft of complaints from students overseas who said they had lost their life savings after it failed to refund them when their visa applications were refused by Malta.

IEU students already in Malta complain they were given no warning before their residence permits were revoked, however. They say the university has not provided them with certified records of their studies, which they need to move to another institution.

“It’s very heartbreaking... No one is giving us a chance to stay here, they [Identità] just mailed us and said, ‘Go home’. They’re not giving us any options,” said Pakistani student Saif Ahmed, who was studying for a master’s in business management.

“I have been crying for the last three days. I have spent almost 50 lakhs [around €15,000] to come here.

Identità just mailed us and said, ‘Go home’. They’re not giving us any options- Pakistani student Saif Ahmed

“I have sold my own place to fulfil my dreams,” he said, adding he had been waiting for more than three months to receive his temporary residence card from Identità.

“My appeal to Malta’s government is to, please, do something in our favour because it’s not our fault. We have spent a lot of money. We have dreams, we are not working here, we are not doing any illegal activity here.”

Pakistani medical student Anas Khan said he felt “so broken because my parents spent a lot of money on me”, adding he felt like he had moved backwards in his life by two years.

“They [Identità] don’t give us any other options; they don’t allow us to get admission in a different university and we can’t afford the University of Malta because, for non-EU people, the fee is €26,000 for medicine students and we are not able to get that,” he said. “I just want to become a doctor.”

A redacted copy of a letter sent to an IEU student. Sections highlighted for clarity.

‘Very frustrated’

Khan was speaking to Times of Malta outside the Gżira IEU campus, where scores of students assembled yesterday shortly before a scheduled meeting with university officials to collect their personal documents.

University representatives did not show up to the scheduled meeting, however, later telling students the meeting had been postponed while staff prepared academic transcripts – official academic records – of their studies.

The IEU told students last week it was appealing the decision to revoke its licence while offering to provide academic transcripts or allowing students to continue their courses online or at the company’s Ukraine campus, options it was due to discuss with students at yesterday’s meeting.

Abdul Haseen, another medical student from Pakistan, said he was “feeling very frustrated [and] our own documents are inside”, pointing at the padlocked entrance of the IEU campus behind him.

“It’s been 12 years of hard work in Pakistan going to school, then to college... thousands of euros gone, one-and-a-half years gone. We are very confused.”

Students have three days to appeal or must leave the country. Photo: Chris Sant Fournier

Most students Times of Malta spoke to said they had paid the IEU about €10,000 in tuition fees and other costs.

‘Heart wrenching’

Neriah Tariq, a second-year student studying for a master’s degree in medicine, said she paid more than €15,000 to study in Malta and described the revocation of her residence permit as “heart-wrenching”, adding the university’s professors had provided good tuition.

“We came here for studies, not to work,” she said, rebuffing stereotypes of non-EU students enrolling to get a visa allowing them to work part-time in Malta.

“There are many students like me who’ve been here for two years now because they want to complete their studies and pursue their education,” she said. “I think the government is at fault – plus the university, of course, because they did not mention anything.”

Four years of my life wasted... a lot of money has been spent- Nigerian student Magne Rosalie

Several students raised other concerns about the IEU, saying they had been falsely told they would be awarded two degrees upon completing their courses – one awarded by the Ukrainian education authorities and one recognised by Malta. Degrees offered by the IEU are not accredited by the Malta Further and Higher Education Authority.

Nigerian student Magne Rosalie described her experience with the IEU as “terrible”, saying she had started at the company’s now-defunct Poland campus, which she said one day “disappeared” after it emerged the school did not have a licence to operate – before being transferred to Malta.

“Four years of my life wasted... a lot of money has been spent. I’m disappointed,” she said.

Turkish medicine student Emir Mazlum Ucar described his dismay at being asked to leave, stressing his course had included training at Mater Dei Hospital, where he had hoped to work after his studies.

Pakistani medical student Anas Khan: “My parents spent a lot of money on me. I just want to become a doctor.” Photo: Chris Sant Fournier

In a terse statement, Identità said student visas and residence permits were issued by the agency according to “several criteria, including an acceptance letter from a recognised Maltese educational institution. Consequently, the visa or permit is valid for educational purposes only”.

Questions were sent to the education ministry and the IEU.