Foreign student circular annulled
Interior Minister Manuel Valls is revoking a document on residence permits for foreign students – but the fight goes on, on other matters, students say
A CONTROVERSIAL government circular making it harder for non-EU graduates to work in France will shortly be scrapped.
Interior Minister Manuel Valls said the circular, sent out by predecessor Claude Guéant to prefects, is to be annulled, probably today. This will be done by the issue of another circular.
The “Guéant circular” was opposed by student groups and by some universities and grandes écoles.
It required prefects to be stricter in assessing applications by non-Europeans who have studied in France and who want permission to stay in the country to work. Cancelling it was one of President Hollande’s campaign promises.
However Baki Youssoufou, the president of student group la Confédération Etudiante, said “the fight is not over” yet.
He told Le Nouvel Observateur there were still concerns over another document - a decree put out in September last year – which increased by 30% the income levels non-EU foreign students need to have in order to have a residence permit for France. This is now at least €615, compared to €430 before.
“When you realise that most foreign students come from Africa, it’s easy to understand why putting up the income level causes problems,” he said.
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