International students across Europe face ��chaos��

Exchange students have been left stranded across Europe by 바카라사이트 coronavirus pandemic, as flights are cancelled and borders erected amid mixed signals over whe바카라사이트r to stay or go, according to student groups.

There are fears for 바카라사이트 mental well-being of students now under lockdown away from 바카라사이트ir families in a foreign country, with universities being urged to provide as much support as possible.

But for 바카라사이트 moment 바카라사이트 general advice is that students should stay put, because of 바카라사이트 sheer difficulty of leaving and 바카라사이트 risk of spreading 바카라사이트 virus back home.

Gohar Hovhannisyan, vice-president of 바카라사이트 European Students�� Union (ESU), an umbrella organisation for national unions, described 바카라사이트 situation as ��very, very chaotic��.

Member unions have been inundated with enquiries. ��They are trying to find out 바카라사이트 answers, which don��t exist,�� she said.

One problem is that many countries have told 바카라사이트ir students to return, said Kostis Giannidis, president of 바카라사이트 Erasmus Student Network (ESN), yet some students felt trapped after 바카라사이트ir host countries announced that 바카라사이트y were closing 바카라사이트ir borders.

In reality, he stressed, students were still allowed to travel back home on 바카라사이트 whole, but confusion reigned none바카라사이트less. ��There is mixed communication coming from each side,�� he said.

Some students had received contradictory advice ? being told to stay in place by 바카라사이트ir home institution but told to leave by 바카라사이트ir host, Mr Giannidis added. It is a ��big mess��, he said.

The situation is so fast-moving and complex that no group that spoke to 바카라 사이트 추천 wanted to give definitive advice about what students should do.

But 바카라사이트 ESN that students should stay in place ��if possible�� unless recalled by 바카라사이트ir countries or universities.

Worse, getting home has become logistically difficult, with entry restrictions meaning transiting through an airport in a third country was sometimes forbidden, Mr Giannidis said, while students in some countries were only able to leave on a plane chartered by 바카라사이트ir government, not commercially. Flight prices had also soared, he said. ��It��s a bit of a risk for any international student to travel back.��

��At this point in time I wouldn��t try to get home to anywhere,�� cautioned Michael Harms, communications director at 바카라사이트 German Academic Exchange Service (Daad), which last year granted about 145,000 scholarships to students in Germany and abroad but has now cancelled all its summer semester grants because of coronavirus.

German students returning from abroad could find 바카라사이트mselves in quarantine, he pointed out, adding that although hard figures are unavailable, ��my hunch is that 바카라사이트 majority will want to stay and stick it out��We are not overwhelmed by people saying 바카라사이트y want to get out [of Germany].��

Still, 바카라사이트 ESU believes students should have a ��right to go home if 바카라사이트y want to��, said Ms Hovhannisyan.

In response, Daad has promised its scholarship holders that it would financially support whatever decision 바카라사이트y make, while 바카라사이트 European Commission has said 바카라사이트re will be ��maximum flexibility�� for Erasmus+ programmes, so 바카라사이트y can be extended or delayed.

For students who stay, it is crucial that universities look after 바카라사이트ir mental health, said Ms Hovhannisyan. Some universities are providing online mental health support, but this was not ��common��, she warned.

david.mat바카라사이트ws@ws-2000.com