The students’ union has called on the authorities to reinstate the residence permits of more than 80 students of a private university after they were revoked without warning when the university lost its licence.
International European University (IEU) students were told on Friday by Identità to leave the EU “as soon as possible” and no later than 30 days after their residence permits were cancelled.
On Monday they told Times of Malta of their “heartbreak” and uncertainty over their future after being told to leave the country while their personal documents remained inside the locked university campus.
Expressing its solidarity with the affected students, the Kunsill Studenti Universitarji (KSU) called for the “immediate issuance” of academic documents – used for applying to other universities –and an investigation into the licensing and oversight of the IEU.
“KSU expresses its serious concern regarding the consequences faced by students of the International European University (IEU) following the recent revocation of the institution’s licence”, the union wrote in a Facebook post.
“The immediate withdrawal of residence permits by Identità has left students without legal status in Malta, disrupting their ability to reside and work lawfully. This has had a direct impact on their financial stability and personal security.”
Emphasising that the students “must be afforded appropriate protection and treated with fairness”, the KSU stressed that “all students deserve security”.
“These individuals acted in good faith, relying on the assurances of a licensed institution, and they should not be subject to detrimental measures for circumstances beyond their control”, the union said.
“We stand in full solidarity with the affected students and remain committed to defending their academic rights, urging all relevant authorities to act decisively and responsibly to ensure justice is delivered to those impacted by this academic crisis.”
The Malta Further and Higher Education Authority (MFHEA) announced last week that it had decided not to renew the IEU’s licence to operate following the results of an audit of the institution.
The MFHEA announcement came less than a week after Times of Malta sent questions to the authority about foreign students who complained that they had lost their life savings when the IEU failed to refund them when their visa applications were rejected by Malta.
The authority has said it will publish a “full report” about two audits of the IEU “once the process is concluded”.
Questions sent to the IEU and the education ministry on Monday remained unanswered.