The League for the Defence of Human Rights (LADO) in Cluj organized on March 14, 2013, at the Students’ Culture House a local seminar which focused on the right to education of non-EU immigrants.

The seminar is part of the project Immigrant in Intercultural Romania, implemented by the Timișoara Intercultural Institute in partnership with the League for the Defence of Human Rights – Cluj, the Center for Civic Resources Constanța, Association for Defence of Rights and Social Integration Bucharest. Special guests to the event were the representatives of key educational institutions from Cluj-Napoca, such as: the responsible regarding relations with foreign students – Anca Filipovici and the responsible regarding relation with francophile countries – Valentin Gîdea, representing the International Cooperation Center (CCI) from Babes-Bolyai University (BBU), Delia Flanja – secretary at the International Relations Office of the Faculty of Economic Studies from Babes-Bolyai University and the responsible regarding relations with foreign students in the University of Pharmacy and Medicine (UMF) „Iulie Hatieganu” – Dr. Puia Cosmin.

Around 36 people attended from the foreign communities in Cluj. The countries they come from were: Palestine, Pakistan, Ecuador, Cuba, Peru, Ghana and students from the Republic of Moldavia. The intercultural mediators made a map of problems faced by the communities they represent, which they exposed and debated within the seminar.

Alex Jacho, the intercultural mediator for the Latin-American community, highlighted the fact that there a few young people from Mexico, Ecuador and Columbia who study in Romania with a scholarship granted by the Romanian state through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and there are young people who study by paying tuition in universities from Cluj. The status of non-communitarian students is somehow clear, but the status of family members is unclear regarding the right to education. A non-EU citizen, family member of a Romanian citizen, owner of a residence permit to this effect, has almost the same rights as the Romanian citizen according to the legislation, but things do not happen like that. If the foreign citizen can get a job with such a residence permit, he cannot apply to get a free place in an educational institution. Alex Jacho also contacted the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to find out if there is a chance to get a scholarship from the ones offered every year to non-EU citizens, but he was refused.

Family members cannot apply for such scholarships. Tuition fees are expensive for family members, who are often forced to go through a long adapting process and to depend on their partner’s financial support till they succeed to find a workplace. From the mediator’s personal experience, Alex Jacob was asked 3000 euros to register for a faculty from UBB.

The mediator’s conclusions focused on clarifying the right to education for family members and decrease of tuition fees.

The mediator for the citizens from the Republic of Moldavia came forth with the following problems they faced during the years, such as: students from Basarabia, scholars of the Romanian state are issued only a single free residence permit for the entire study period. But they are moved every year in different rooms or student hostels, depending on the available places given to universities and grades. Thus, they are forced to change their residence permits because the address which is on the residence permit does not correspond to the student’s current one. According to the law, the foreign citizen must report to the Immigration Service to change residence and must pay for a new residence permit for the current address. Thus, because the number of the room does not correspond to the one on the residence permit, scholars must change their residence permit, but this time the permit is not issued free of charge.

Another problem faced by students from Basarabia is the transitivity of rights from the student status tot hat of Romanian scholar when they acquire Romanian citizenship. Students from Basarabia who obtain a Romanian identity card lose their scholar status and have to pay the tuition fee. But if the student from Basarabia obtained the Romanian ID and has good grades which could allow him to apply for a scholarship, the faculties do not acknowledge the respective right.

Ana Filipovici, CCI representative, said that, regarding this matter, she received complaints from the faculty secretaries and, following consultations which will take place, she will provide a clear answer to this issue.
The mediator told the CCI representative that the information on their website regarding students from Basarabia is outdated and that it would be better to develop a collaboration with Initiative Group from Basarabia, which obtains this information in a very short period of time. He also highlighted the fact that there are communication problems between CCI and faculties regarding order transmission from the ministry for students from Basarabia. He gave the example of the Faculty of Economic Studies, which never receives orders on times, students being advised to directly address CCI.

Anca Filipovici, the CCI representative in the relation with foreign students, pointed out that the collaboration with the Initiative Group from Basarabia was more than welcomed, especially that they are now in a image and website content reconfiguration and will gladly receive the updated information. At the same time, Anca Filipovici also pointed out that, starting this year, admission letters for foreign students will be issued directly by universities, and the faculties will allocate a number of places for foreign students. Anca Filipovici added that Babes Bolyai University offers orientation programs for foreign students and tutoring programs and Romanian language courses for foreign scholars. Tuition fees are around 230 euros per month. The tuition fees quantum is proposed by the Ministry of Education, and faculties can set taxes within this quantum, so the intervention to decrease taxes should be made by the Ministry of Education.

Ana Filipovici mentioned that last year 20 students from Pakistan for a study program and were selected, but only two obtained a Romanian visa.

At UBB there is a regulation according to which tuition fees remain unchanged for the duration of the studies, cannot change every year, the same regulation existing even within UMF, according to Dr. Puia’s statement. Dr. Cosmin Puia, responsible regarding relation with foreign students, UMF Cluj, declared that, if they are accepted, foreigners may have access to a scholarship starting with the second year of college according, having to score at least 8. There is also a system of scholarships which covers half of the tuition quantum and is also available for foreign students. Dr. Cosmin Puia does not agree with the selection system – who pays is admitted – which, according to him, dates from Ceausescu’s time. He believes that in UMF there should be only a system based on admission, exams. Regarding the obtainment of certificates of conformity for UMF students, dr. Puia recognized that there are problems in connecting UMF with the Direction of Public Health, the institution which collects applications for these certificates, then sends them to the Ministry of Health.

The seminar laid the basis of a stronger collaboration between LADO Cluj and the representatives of the University of Medicine and Pharmacy and the Center for International Cooperation from Babes-Bolyai Universities. The seminar conclusions will be turned into regulation proposals and policies and the intervention proposals for institutions will be supported by LADO Cluj.