Students in Cameroon protest new financial requirements for French visas
Dozens of people took to the streets outside the French embassy in Yaoundé this week to protest new rules that require Cameroonian nationals to demonstrate the means to pay tuition fees in full before they can obtain a student visa for France. Protesters say the policy will make studying in France impossible for many people who already have places at French institutions for the coming academic year.
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Dozens of students and parents attended the march on Tuesday, after the Cameroon branch of France’s public agency for international students, Campus France, announced on 9 July that visa applicants must now provide proof of full payment of their tuition fees, or demonstrate that they possess the corresponding funds.
The measure came after several students in Cameroon had already submitted their applications.
Yvan Odjo, who had hoped to obtain a master’s in public law at a private French university, told RFI’s correspondent in Yaoundé that the new policy meant he was unable to get a visa.
“We were asked for 25,000 euros, including processing fees, a sum that, in reality, families cannot cover,” he said.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, one parent said the new requirements were a harsh blow for his son, who is already enrolled to start at a private university in Lyon.
“The cost for him is around 14,500 euros. We were due to pay in instalments until May, and we were fully prepared, having already paid the 3,500-euro registration fee required by the university,” he said.
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‘Not right’
Protest organisers called for the opportunity to discuss the rule change.
“The repercussions of this decision must be taken into account, even if it means postponing the decision until next year, or simply advocating for fairness for all students,” said spokesperson Salomon Ondoua.
“It is not right for a Cameroonian student to face greater difficulties studying in France than, for example, an Ivorian student,” he added.
Officials from Campus France intend to address the press regarding student mobility before the end of the week, according to a source at the French Embassy in Cameroon.
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Studying in France is set to become significantly more expensive for students from outside the European Union, after the government in May ordered universities to charge higher tuition fees for most non-EU students from the start of the next academic year.
Enrolment at a French university for non-EU students will cost nearly €3,000 per year for a bachelor’s degree, compared with €178 currently.
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