Trump drastically limits visas for Harvard students!

Trump drastically limits visas for Harvard students!

Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA - President Donald Trump has announced a remarkable plan that limits the entry of almost all foreign nationals who want to study at the renowned Harvard University. These measures are part of a more comprehensive strategy of the Trump government, which is directed against certain training institutions, especially with regard to international students. The entry limitation should initially apply for a period of six months and affects those who want to enter the United States exclusively or mainly to study Harvard or to take part in exchange programs. A corresponding report on Süddeutsche.de explains that the US foreign ministry has been instructed to check whether the visa of already enrolled foreign nationals is lifted up to Harvard should.

Trump justifies his restrictive measures with Harvard's behavior, which he considers to be unsuitable for foreign students. The President emphasizes that the protection of national security interests requires that universities such as Harvard request sufficient information about international misconduct. As long as this information is not provided, Trump sees it as necessary to deny foreign nationals. Furthermore, the American government is planning to prohibit Harvard in the context of a special federal program to the inclusion of new international students, even if a current blockade by a US federal judge has so far prevented this measure.

background and extent of the measures

The measures by Trump join an increasingly critical attitude towards academic institutions that have a supposedly left -liberal orientation. Another reported problem is anti-Semitism at US universities, especially with pro-Palestinian demonstrations on campus. As a result, high -ranking government officials, including Minister of Homeland Protection Noem, requested specific information from Harvard about international students, illegal activities and protest participations. Competitors of the government describe this pressure politically to discipline uncomfortable institutions, so Tagesschau.de. .

Currently around 6,800 international students are enrolled to Harvard, including 550 from Germany, which make up 27% of the total student body. The financial contributions of these students are crucial for the budget of the elite university, which further increases the scope of the announced measures. In the worst case, a loss of access to the "Student and Exchange Visitor Information System" (Sevis) could lead to deportation of those students who are not enrolled at other institutions or cannot adapt their status.

strict guidelines and uncertainty among students

In addition to the effects on the academic sector, the Trump government also causes unrest among young people who are planning a stay in the USA. Current guidelines initially prevent the allocation of visas for student exchange, study visits or au pair programs. A circular of the US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has mentioned the more intensive review of the social media accounts of visa applicants as a reason, whereby the focus is on pro-Palestinian statements. This means that many students, like the student Angelina from Siegburg, have to rethink their plans for studying in the United States, since no detailed regulations have yet been published on the legal consequences. The WDR reports of numerous inquiries that prefer to search for alternatives in Europe or Canada.

The pressure and the uncertainty that result from these developments are a significant challenge for students and institutions. While the government denounces academic standards at American universities, critics see a pretext in order to put political unpleasant facilities under pressure. The effects of these controversies on the future international student policy of the United States remain.