Students of defunct college left without passports, course documents

A number of former foreign students studying at the defunct International European University (IEU) are stuck without their passports and accommodation, as the fallout of the school’s closure continues.

Earlier this month, the IEU had its educational licence revoked, leaving its students with significant sums of money out of pocket as they can no longer continue their studies. 

With the school’s licence revoked, the students face deportation due to the revocation of their student visas. 

Luckily, the General Workers’ Union (GWU) has stepped in for the students, with its secretary for food and hospitality sector, Kevin Abela, telling this newspaper that the union aims to sit down with Identità to discuss the fate of each student.

Abela said that the problems these students face is not just financial.

He explained that some students who have finished their courses have nothing to show for their work, as they were left with no documents or certificates that prove that they completed a course. 

To make matters worse, some students have been left without their passports, which were being held at the school in Gżira. 

Abela said that students who wished to continue studying in other countries cannot do so due to the lack of documents.

On top of this, Abela told MaltaToday that the students face eviction from their accommodation in Malta. He notes that part of their tuition fee included accommodation fees, however, the students’ landlords said that the IEU stopped paying the rent.

Now, the GWU is expecting to hold a meeting with Identità to discuss how each student from the school can be given a way forward without facing deportation. 

In comments to MaltaToday, GWU TCN Liaison Manav Sanger urged authorities not to victimise the students of the school again. He further warned TCNs to be weary of “agents” promising deals that are too good to be true.

Meanwhile, earlier on Friday, Knights College announced a scholarship aimed specifically at former IEU students.

Under this new programme, affected students will be offered scholarships to pursue accredited diplomas in business management, hospitality, and adult care.