Congolese, Chinese nationals under scrutiny after 'bogus student' fears

By Jan Petter Myklebust. The impact of controls on recruitment of Congolese and Chinese students to Belgian higher education institutions has been significant, according to a report prepared with the support of the European Commission.
In the period since 2004 covered by the report, Congolese nationals were said to be using forged documentation to obtain a university place, while a rapid rise in the number of Chinese students – to a fifth of all international students in the country – prompted claims that they were working illegally in the restaurant industry.
The report, Migration of International Students to Belgium 2000-2012: Striking a balance between migration management and actively attracting students from third countries for the purposes of study and research, set out to examine the patterns of recruitment of international students, both to French-speaking institutions and to universities in the Flemish region, following the increased opportunities due to Bologna degree reforms and the increasing number of courses taught in English. Read more...