Last year news broke that hundreds of Indian university students in Berlin were facing the threat of deportation despite being enrolled in ongoing study programs, with some of them just months away from graduation.
The biggest impact was on the students involved, many of whom were quoted in media reports voicing frustration that they had been sold an expensive program on the promise of being able to live and study in Berlin – a promise that turned out to have no weight with Berlin's immigration authorities.
But the story was also surprising in that it seemed to represent a serious misstep by Berlin's authorities, given that German lawmakers were recently pulling out all the stops to try and attract foreign students, including students from India in particular.
So why would a state that says it wants to attract foreign students send hundreds of them packing?
The Local contacted Berlin's immigration authority to find out.
Residence permits discontinued
Starting in 2025, foreign students at the International University of Applied Sciences (IU) began receiving yellow envelopes from Berlin's immigration authorities. Inside were letters explaining that they should leave the country or face deportation.
A Euronews report, which was also cited by a number of Indian news outlets, suggests that students had begun receiving orders to leave from as early as March. A student quoted there said he knew of at least 300 cases – many of whom had already returned home.
Requirements not met
Affected students suggested that the issue stemmed from the university not having the right accreditation. This assessment was confirmed to The Local by a spokesperson for Berlin's State Office for Migration and Refugees (LEA).
Asked why students' residence permits were discontinued, an LEA spokesperson explained: "IU's degree programs...do not constitute studies that grant the right to a residence permit under German or European law."
The LEA cited section 16b of Germany's Residence Act, which clarifies the rules for student residence permits. The law says that a foreign student "shall be granted a residence permit...if he or she has been admitted for the purpose of full-time study and admission is subject to the condition of attendance..."
The spokesperson added that "unlike state and other private universities" IU's programs were "offered exclusively or predominantly online...Therefore, there is no basis for a German residence permit."
IU is said to be among Germany's largest private universities. According to information on its website it has nearly 130,000 students and 37 German campus locations "in almost every major German city".
But media reports suggest that its Berlin campus essentially consists of some office space rented in a shopping centre on Frankfurter Allee.
The Local reached out to IU to ask if or how it plans to meet the LEA's requirements, and what it has done to support affected students. So far the university has not responded.
A spokesperson for the LEA noted that IU recently announced a restructuring of its study programs to offer more in-person classes, but that "the Berlin Administrative Court has found that the veracity of this claim is questionable."
Euronews reported that IU was suspending all new student admissions to the Berlin campus due to legal "uncertainties".
READ ALSO: Germany's 'Universities of Excellence' for science and research
Legal clarification ongoing
The LEA does acknowledge that "the assessment and classification of online degree programs under residency law in Berlin is currently the subject of various administrative court proceedings."
But it also notes that the Berlin Administrative Court has previously upheld it's position "in the overwhelming majority of cases."
Still the spokesperson told The Local that until the matter is clarified by the Berlin-Brandenburg Higher Administrative Court, the LEA "will no longer issue any rejection notices solely on this basis, and does not plan any measures to terminate residency in this regard."
Incoming students be warned
For any prospective international students planning to come to Germany, the takeaway here seems to be that it's important to ensure a degree program is aligned with the country's requirements before enrolling.
Programs offered by Germany's public universities would be the most secure option, but many other private university degree programs that require in-person attendance are also recognised.
Students wishing to stay in Germany should be cautious about study programs that are fully or primarily remote, as the IU case has shown that this kind of degree program may not entitle foreign students to a residence permit.
READ ALSO: How to apply for a Master's in Germany as an international student
Mixed signals
Circumstances aside, the fact that hundreds of Indian students actively enrolled in degree programs in Berlin were told to leave stands in sharp contrast to the government's stated goal of attracting foreign students and skilled workers.
Just one year prior, Germany's former Labour Minister, Hubertus Heil, had personally met with a group of Indian students at Berlin's Free University with the stated aim of sending a "clear signal to India that bright minds and helping hands are welcome in Germany".
More recently, Berlin's Senator for Economic Affairs, Franziska Giffey, visited India with an aim of recruiting skilled workers to the capital. Berlin must send a clear positive signal here, she had said.
If you or someone you know was an IU student who was threatened with deportation, The Local would like to hear from you. Please drop us a message at news@thelocal.de
Comments