Kurt Sansone
Students granted bail
Five Indian students held in detention for 15 days on charges of breaching their visa conditions were granted bail on Thursday after contesting the deportation order issued against them.
Their case has attracted diplomatic attention with the Indian High Commissioner arriving from Tripoli earlier this week to meet them. She is expected back in Malta next week.
The students were arrested at their school in Ħamrun two weeks ago after they failed to turn up for class.
The Immigration Appeals Board granted bail against a deposit of €1,000 each pending a second hearing scheduled for next week. Four students had the money in their bank account and another was waiting for a money transfer from his parents.
The students' lawyer, Leon Bencini, said there had been efforts to find an amicable solution: "A meeting between the students, the school authorities and the Indian Consulate is scheduled to iron out the differences. We want to find a solution because the students want to continue with their course work for which they paid thousands of euros".
The students are in Malta for a full academic year, studying for a diploma in logistics and management at the SSM school in Ħamrun.
The school alleged they did not attend classes regularly as stipulated by their visa conditions and reported them to the police. The police charged the students on two counts: not having enough money to sustain themselves and breaching student visa conditions by failing to attend school.
They have denied both charges, insisting there were serious mishaps in the educational service provided by the school.
After spending two days at the police depot in Floriana the students were transferred to Ta' Kandja detention facility.
The director of SSM school, Alexander Borg, had said he was in duty bound to report the students to the police when they failed to turn up at school.
"When a visa is issued to students I am responsible for them. We verbally warned them more than once and then got them to sign an agreement that they will attend school regularly. When they continued to absent themselves we were left with no option but to report them to the police," he said.
At the time, Mr Borg had insisted he would not be accepting them back at his school.
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S Atlamyob
Nov 9th 2009, 11:15
Mr Crocker,
Wouldn’t police resources be better utilized on those who risk life and limb by driving while talking on a cell phone especially those entrusted with transporting civilians and children?
As you put it Graham, I did “pull that crap in the USA” , It got me a relatively successful US based international business, a multitude of US workers, generated significant international revenue, then after losing all to the Child custody industry, it got me college/university degrees which helped me become a teacher.It got me a beach property in California.
US. college/university, students from abroad come and go to classes pretty much as they please.
I come and go between Malta, and USA, Australia, and Britain, as I wish.
Your hypothesis is incorrect Graham. Reality is, it’s how the World functions.
Third World is also an attitude and way of thinking, amongst other variables…
Britain and Asia are homes to countless undocumented Australians, Americans, Maltese too..
.
People who exhibit predilection for shows that thrive on the misery, pain, and exploitation, of people from alternative cultures, what does that tell you about the audience?
Yugoslavian Prodigal genius, Nikola Tesla, was a penniless and undocumented immigrant to the US too!
S Atlamyob
Nov 9th 2009, 10:35
@ Cassar, nobody claimed they are working, seeking work or anything like that.
They were able to come up with 2000 Euros cash in short notice. They weren’t begging on the street or causing trouble around the island, they were in school when they were arrested. It’s nobody’s’ business but their own if they choose to skip a class or two.
I hope my observations and views help you gain a more versatile worldly and compassionate perspective, because very few things are simply black and white and there’s always a grey area where the two meet.
S Atlamyob
Nov 9th 2009, 10:19
Mr Borg, if the syntax structure applied to your blogs is representative of the university’s teachings, I have to agree that the defendants’ claims, as we currently know them to be, appear quite legitimate.
The students you speak about are obviously very bright individuals, as are many Asian and other foreign students who travel to western countries to pursue their studies.
I teach elementary school – college age students from a diversity of ethnic backgrounds, of which, the vast majority exceed cognitive expectations far beyond their western counterparts, and therefore, commonly attend classes several levels above their peers in order to be challenged. There are some that even exceed their instructors’ knowledge of some subjects.
This understood, what do you think a more feasible explanation for the students’ behavior might be they’re just not receiving what they need to in order to learn from their classes?
Advertising/bad publicity.I heard about this ruckus in California.. My point is, bad news travels fast.
The xenophobic statement “Students not interested to continue with studies should go home” includes Maltese students? Doesn’t sound accommodating.
Lastly, “never resort to name calling, or joining the bandwagon, for when one does, one has lost all feasible credibility”.
Graham Crocker
Nov 8th 2009, 00:00
S Atlamyob , I know rules must be new to you, but when you agree to something on paper you either abide with it or you break it and suffer the consequences of being untrustworthy (i.e. being taking to court).
I don't know what you are on about calling us third world, go pull that crap in USA or Australia and see how long it would take for them to throw you in jail or deport you, but I agree , it would be great advertisement.
The Aussies have a show (Border Security) about this stuff and its very interesting to watch, sometimes they refuse entry to people who don't have enough money, but its especially interesting when they leave the airport and respond to tip-offs of illegal workers (who usually come with Student visas) and if they run, they get their Alsatian's to go and catch them.
Alex Borg
Nov 7th 2009, 19:20
For: S Atlamyob:
If the students are caught by the local authorities running around the island during their time of studying or working, I will be taken to court and fined and risking of loosing my school license.
The students has ignored totally the regulations for many times. If they are not interested to continue with their studies they should go home.
Advertising has nothing to do with this case and don`t be stupid with your definitions.
P.Cassar
Nov 7th 2009, 18:43
Many foreigners come to Malta as studients until they obtain a visa but their only intention is to find work. I fully agree with the steps taken by the school in reporting their absence to the authorities.
S Atlamyob
Nov 7th 2009, 17:38
Arrested! Jail!, deportation! Humiliation! for not gong to class and not having enough money after they paid the school thousands!? Are you kidding me?
From one emerging third world country to one submerging third world country...
This will make a great international advertisement!
Is the school paper titled “The Medieval Times of Malta”?
Alex Borg
Nov 7th 2009, 15:09
As a private institution we have the responsibility to follow our students progress and behaviour. A regular attendance is a requirement to maintain for reasons associated with standards and visa procedures. If any student is absent for 1 or 2 days days we will excuse him as long there are valid reasons. But missing 2 whole weeks without any reason is not acceptable.
The indian students are trying to give the impression that they have not been receiving the service for which they paid good money. This is all rubbish because since they joined us in Malta we have took care of them from A-Z.
Our institution has been in operation since 1998 and we have never experienced such mis-behaviour and lack of interest from any foreign and local students. It is our main ojectives to provide quality and relevant information and education. We are accredited by local and foreign authorities and an audit is done every year by professional people from UK . We have to demonstrate all our records and trainers CV`S. Even our students are interviewed by the same audit team from UK. Today our organisation has 3 branches and we have high reputation in every country.