France’s recent decision to suspend student mobility and visa issuance for new students from Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso has disrupted higher education in the region. Students who were preparing to begin their studies in France have been told that their plans may be affected. Even current scholarship recipients who lack valid visas cannot travel to France.
France’s government has cited security concerns for this visa suspension, but some argue that it’s politically motivated. There have been political changes in these countries, including coups, and this decision has sparked criticism. Peter Kwasi Kodjie, the Secretary-General of the All-Africa Students Union in Ghana, expressed disappointment, highlighting the impact on the educational aspirations of students from these nations.
France has been a top destination for students from Sub-Saharan Africa, hosting 92,000 students from the region in 2021-22, which is 23% of all international students in France. In the current academic year, 6,600 students from Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso are in France, representing 7% of Sub-Saharan African students. Critics suggest that this decision may reflect colonial-era tendencies, and many hope that France will reconsider and allow these students to continue their education in the country.