UWC boots 50 foreigners from campus
A REFUGEE rights group has raised its concerns after the University of the Western Cape dismissed nearly 50 foreign students who allegedly do not have valid study permits.
People Against Suppression, Suffering, Oppression and Poverty (Passop) said that nine of the students were Zimbabweans who were still waiting for their papers to be processed by the Department of Home Affairs under the Zimbabwe Dispensation Project.
In a letter sent to the students the university (UWC) said that the students had earlier this year signed a letter promising to contact the department to ensure that they had valid papers.
"We have notified you in two previous mail messages, that we urgently need a copy of your valid study permit for the current academic year. You have failed to submit the required documentation to our offices," the letter said.
"It is with regret that we wish to inform you that your registration for 2011 has been cancelled with immediate effect.
"Please hand in your student card at our reception immediately.
"You are not allowed to attend any future classes and make use of any of our facilities on campus.
"Please note that the Department of Home Affairs will be informed of your status as not being a registered student any longer."
Passop spokesperson Langton Miriyoga said they would meet with the dismissed students and the Student Representative Council on the matter "as soon as possible".
Miriyoga added that they were also going to approach legal experts on immigration matters.
"UWC is the only university doing this, others such as the University of Cape Town have been patient with students," he said.
He said they were worried that if UWC were to notify the department that they had deregistered the Zimbabwean students, their study permits might not be processed.
Miriyoga said that the dismissed students should have the right to continue their education while their papers were being sorted out.
UWC spokesperson Luthando Tyhalibongo blamed the Department of Home Affairs, saying it had never told them it would only finish issuing Zimbabweans with their permits by the end of August.
"The university has not received any formal communication from Home Affairs.
"The onus is on them to communicate with us formally because we have approached them on a number of occasions before.
"With those particular students from Zimbabwe, we were expecting feedback from Home Affairs.
"We have been asking them over and over again what the university should do in the meantime, until the permits come out," he said.
Mpotjekegobotje
Instead of the international office of the University to speak to the home affairs and try to solve the problem,they wans to in4m dem that U are being deregisterd???9 from Zim and the other 41???It is very difficult sometyms to get your permit in time(well 74.4% of my friends are foreign students).Please give the poor students one more change,you just dont know how it feels to be deregistered!Report Abuse
Cardoso
I fully support the decision taken by UWC and I encourange other institutions to do like wise. We have allowed for far too long to allow our emotions to decide pure administrative issues. No South African student can be registered at any University without an ID. What makes foreigners special in this regard??????Report Abuse
Cherokeexxx
So what , they also want ID's for SA students. Foreigners must apply back @ home tooReport Abuse
green2014
These human rights groups are hypocrites because of embedded pecuniary interests. Now they will be busy developing funding proposals using this case as a statement of need. How can reputable institutions be expected to allow students to study without relevant permits? Why didn't they apply for proper papers in the first place, as it seems as if they are educated. There is an element of entitlement here. For the UWC, why were they registered in the first place, to meet targets, he? If that is the case, then UWC is guilty of fraud and misrepresdentation. I'm seek and tired of foreigners ab/using our resources and wanting to be given special treatment. Usually, it is children of the rich but corrupt classes that usually come to SA and after graduation go back to their countries and continue with plundering resources there and when there is hunger the whole world is made to feel guilty and urged to donate monies which dissipate into coffers of selfsame human rights groupings.Report Abuse
sabza007
@ Cardoso: Exactly my sentiments.Why they should be a loophole for every foreigner studying,living,working or not.They knew that they would be studying in South Africa. Research the equirements and Get your papers in order in time.@ Mpotjekegobotje: You may have thousand foreign friends, South Africa has laws that everyone including your foreign friends must adhere to.Let us stop making our country to be seen as a banana republic.
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charly-b
The statement that reads- 'The University of the Western Cape dismissed nearly 50 foreign students' is incorrect! I did inform the Sowetan that only 29 foreign students have been de-registered due to not having their study permits. I also told the Sowetan that UWC will re-activate the students registration as soon as they receive their papers.The immigration legislation requires that universities register students with valid study permits. Universities are audited on a regular basis to ensure that they comply with the laws of the country. At the beginning of this year, UWC made special concession for international students who could prove that they had submitted applications for study permits to Home Affairs. UWC understood that there were several delays at Home Affairs as a result of issues with Zimbabwean citizens and therefore made this concession for 2011 only.
UWC informed Home Affairs that the University would be contravening the Immigration Act and requested special permission to register students for a certain period without permits to allow them more time to have their documents processed. UWC undertook to de-register students by the end of the first semester if they had not submitted the relevant documents.
Please note that, as is the case of any person who plans to work or study in another country, the onus is on the individual to obtain the relevant permits. The University of the Western Cape intervened to assist students and after persistent engagements with Home Affairs officials, UWC managed to get the processing of some students' permits expedited. Students were reminded, more than once, that they needed to obtain their permits. Some students followed up with Student Administration and Home Affairs, while others did not.
A total of 29 students have not submitted their permits, despite the extension that was granted until the beginning of August.
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kudumeka
For your information, I work for one of Universities in Capetown but not UWC. We have a foreign student who registered for sam course for five years and never attended a class, wrote a test, exams but keeps registering every year. Only to find out that he registered to get access to our country and get cheap resident. This student is selling cars in South Africa from other countries so one can see he does not need education and he is here for illegal business. Unfortunately we cannot treat them the same but those that are here legally should produce documents required to get registered. Those that are fighting for them should go and enter into agreement with UWC to promise that they will get papers for the students not to blame UWC. We love them but if they misbehave they must be deported.Report Abuse
mambaChild
But this is the usual home affairs hick-up, I know of a friend at UP who originates from Angola, He completed last year without a study permit and home affairs granted it this year in January long after he had completed his degree, He was almost kicked out of the exam room last november, He was saved by a paper that had home affairs date stamps all over it. Now this goes to show you how back logged the department is. What i on't understand with the UWC is why de-register the students when their permits have now been rejected.Report Abuse
Africanist
UWC? does that thing steal exist.it one of those deadbit universities.i wouldnt cry if i kicked out of there.Report Abuse