Students see limits on travel

With threats of terrorism both at home and overseas, foreign students and American students… With threats of terrorism both at home and overseas, foreign students and American students wishing to study abroad are seeing some limits on their options.

Following the terrorist attacks on the United States on Sept. 11, 2001, monitoring of international students by the federal government has increased, according to David Bryan Clubb, director of the Office of International Services.

By January, universities must start reporting “real time data,” Clubb said. This new policy requires universities to notify the federal government about their international students regularly with certain information including any changes in students’ majors. OIS keeps detailed information on students now; however, they are not required to report anything to the federal government unless government officials specifically ask for it, he said.

The federal government already has special regulations for anyone from Iraq, Iran, Libya, Syria and Sudan wanting a visa to study in the United States, he said. According to Clubb, these regulations exist because U.S. government officials think these governments support terrorism.

Pitt has one student from each Iraq, Syria and Sudan and three students from Iran. There are no international students from Syria at Pitt, Clubb said.

Many of the highjackers from last year’s terrorist attacks came from Saudi Arabia so there may be stricter regulations for people from there in the future, he said. Clubb added that 32 Saudi Arabian students attend Pitt.

About 1,900 international students attend Pitt, 300 of whom are undergraduates. The majority of Pitt’s international students and professors come from China, India, South Korea and Japan, he said.

Semester at Sea also underwent changes in light of recent terrorist threats. The cruise ship used to visit the Middle East region via the Suez Canal, stopping in Egypt and Israel, according to Paul Watson, director of enrollment management for SAS. SAS no longer includes these visits because of their domestic “instability,” he said.

The U.S. State Department releases travel warnings for Americans traveling outside the country. Watson said that while many countries in the Middle East region have warnings, hostilities do not have to be aimed directly at Americans for the State Department to issue a warning.

Pitt would not sanction a trip by any students to a country that the State Department has a travel warning for, since the insurance costs for the boat would be too high, according to Watson.

Watson cited the recent incidents of suicide bombings in Israel and its warlike environment as reasons why a warning may be placed on a country. SAS keeps track of the current state of each country on their itinerary before taking students there, he said.

In response to the restrictions, Clubb said the United States needs to balance national security and its openness. If the United States attacks Iraq, international students from that area should not be sent back to their respective homes by the U.S. government.

“Certainly they would undergo more scrutiny,” he said. “But I could see no way to send them back home,” he said.

International students’ home countries could issue an edict for their return, Clubb said. However, they could not physically make these students return, he said. He doubted any government would issue such an edict, though.

Vietnam is the only country Clubb knew of that requires its citizens to obtain an “exit visa,” or permission from their own government to leave their home country.

The United States allows students from all countries to study here, he said.

Though governmental policies regarding international students may not change after potential attacks by the United States on Iraq, how average Americans treat these students may change, he said.

Students who come to study in America do not necessarily agree with their government, he said.

“It’s hard to believe they could support Sadam [Hussein]” if they want to study in the United States, he said.

“They’re not our enemy just because they’re from Iraq,” he said.

After the Gulf War and the attacks of Sept. 11, there were incidents of racism and discrimination, Clubb said. “I hope we’ve learned our lesson,” he said.

OIS offered support for international students during these times and tried to encourage tolerance, he said.

Students come to study in the United States because they are “intrigued” by the diversity, Clubb said.

“You go into any metropolitan area and see African Americans, Asians, whites, various sizes, shapes and colors. You don’t see it elsewhere. People are amazed by it. This is what makes our country great,” Clubb said. “Most students have a fascination with our way of life. They’re genuinely interested in finding out if our nation is as great as it’s supposed to be,” he said.

International students’ governments or organizations such as the United Arab Emirates often pay the entire tuition for students to study in the United States, he said.

OIS aids international students in getting a visa and staying in the United States legally by working with the State Department and Immigration and Naturalization Services, according to Clubb. They also evaluate foreign education standards and act as advisors for international students and professors, he said.