Written by Thais França (Cies-Iscte)
As critical scholars in the field of international student mobility increasingly examine how social inequalities—such as race, gender, religion, or ethnicity—shape the experiences of students abroad, the long-held perception of international students as a privileged group has been progressively challenged and deconstructed. While these students may enjoy certain privileges compared to forcibly displaced individuals or other immigrants—who often face structural inequalities that confine them to the margins of society, hinder their ability to regularize their status, and restrict them to precarious, unstable jobs—the complexities of international students’ experiences have often been overlooked. This invisibility of their vulnerabilities has, at times, resulted in insufficient support from higher education institutions and host countries, as was starkly revealed during the COVID-19 pandemic, when their needs became more apparent.
Although the COVID-19 emergency is now under control in most countries, a new societal crisis is emerging in Europe: the surge of far-right ideologies, fuelling the rise of populism, nationalism, and conservative values. This growing trend poses significant challenges to democratic principles and undermines the progress made in fostering diversity within societies. Against this backdrop, an anti-immigration rhetoric has proliferated in many European countries, fostering xenophobia, racism, and other discriminatory practices. Individuals coming from abroad are increasingly portrayed as burdens or threats to society, making them feel unwelcome and excluded.
In the context of higher education, these ideologies directly challenge one of the main pillars of internationalization: student mobility. On one hand, the rise of stricter migration policies significantly impacts the opportunities available to international students. These policies create barriers at various stages, from meeting the requirements to obtain a visa for entry, to renewing residence permits after arrival, and transitioning from a student visa to a work visa upon completing their studies. Such challenges hinder the potential for students to fully benefit from their international education and subsequent career opportunities. On the other hand, the rise of the nationalist agenda in higher education policy has led to a reduction in English-language courses, favoring the expansion of local-language offerings and limiting the number of international students allowed. At the same time, conservative ideas have reinforced neoliberal policies, further legitimizing institutions’ practices of charging significantly higher fees for international students compared to national students. Amidst this unfriendly institutional context, hate speech and violent attacks against international students have increased, fuelled by racist and xenophobic narratives that blame them for job competition, housing shortages, and taking advantage of welfare states.
The rise of far-right parties and nationalist ideologies in Europe is a complex phenomenon influenced by a range of factors, including the strategies of neoliberal political actors and the role of media narratives. It has also been shaped by significant global events, such as the aftermath of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, the economic downturn triggered by the Great Recession of 2008, and the failure of the EU asylum system and immigration policies in 2015.
While this may seem removed from the realities faced by international students, critically examining how higher education institutions have failed to address the structural inequalities that hinder international students’ sense of belonging reveals important connections. Through this lens, it becomes possible to see how the colonial power asymmetries embedded in European higher education institutions shape perceptions of international students—often framing them as lacking, inferior to their European counterparts, or unable to meet the expectations set by these colonial universities. While numerous studies have highlighted isolation and difficulties in socializing with local students as one of the main challenges faced by international students, there are still few examples of effective or promising practices designed to address this issue. Likewise, several investigations have highlighted that international students often face penalties in exams due to their language proficiency, while their academic contributions and references are frequently undervalued. Furthermore, the unwelcoming environment created by bias against their accents and backgrounds hinders their active participation in class discussions.
By prioritizing their economic contributions while undervaluing their cultural and intellectual diversity, higher education institutions have reinforced racist and discriminatory practices towards these students. These practices align seamlessly with the nationalist and conservative narratives spreading across Europe, further marginalizing international students and undermining the inclusive values that academia and international education should uphold.
Despite the alarming and increasingly hostile context, higher education institutions hold significant potential and responsibility to contribute to changing this situation. They can begin by implementing practices to address these issues, such as offering decolonial and intercultural training for their staff, including lecturers, and raising awareness within their academic communities structural inequalities that international students face. Furthermore, universities must actively advocate and become key actors in the immigration debate, pushing for policy reforms that make higher education more accessible to international students—not only because of their economic value but also recognizing their vital, immaterial contributions to society, such as cultural exchange, knowledge sharing, and fostering global solidarity.
Author bio
Thais França is an integrated researcher at the Centre for Research and Studies in Sociology of the Lisbon University Institute (CIES, ISCTE-IUL). She earned her PhD in Sociology from the University of Coimbra, Portugal. Currently, she serves as the principal coordinator of the “Inclusion+: Tackling the challenges of Erasmus+ mobility inclusion and diversity at the higher education level,” a project funded by Erasmus+. Her research expertise encompasses migration, mobilities, gender studies, social inequalities, and post-colonial studies.