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Students from the Western Balkans: The experience of EU countries regarding admission and misuse of procedures. A factual overview

Document number
1966
Date
2008
Title
Students from the Western Balkans: The experience of EU countries regarding admission and misuse of procedures. A factual overview
Author/publisher
International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD), King Baudouin Foundation
Availability
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Document type(s)
Research/Study/Analysis,
Summary

The objective of this study was to collect information in the form of available statistics, estimates an  assessments on the actual and potential misuse of visa and residence permits by students from the Western Balkans (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, FYR Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia) in European Union Member States. The study was based on a structured questionnaire sent to all EU Member States and Switzerland in early 2008. The survey included questions on the number of students admitted for short- and long-term visas and residence permits, the cases and types of misuse (use of false and falsified documents, illegal work, overstay and similar) and the main reasons for this. Other issues included were risk profiling, cooperation with universities and special policies and practices for students from the Western Balkans. Key findings of the study are that there is currently little or no evidence of misuse of visa or residence permits granted to students from the Western Balkans. Misuse is in fact an exception. Moreover, the study shows that universities and other higher education institutions are increasingly assuming responsibilities for at least some of the admission procedures for third country students.

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