European Migration Network (EMN) and Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) disseminated a joined inform on the influence the COVID-19 virus outbreak had on international students in EMN and OECD countries.
The document is second in an inform series which will be dedicated to discussing the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on the field of migration and asylum.
The results of the review reveal that during the outbreak of the pandemic students from abroad were among vulnerable social groups – due to tightened health protection policies and restricted international travel rules many states applied, students could not complete administrative procedures that ensure admission or to travel to a country whose higher education institution they were about to enrol to.
Most of the above mentioned countries were sensitive to the circumstances and created exceptions to ease the conditions of such procedures. Lithuania did not withdraw residence permits and visas if students of foreign origin admitted to country’s higher education institutions could not come due to lockdowns or temporarily study online by distance.
Previous joined EMN and EBPO informs can be found here:
- Inform No 1 on residence permits and migrant employment during the pandemic