Open Campaign meeting:
Thursday the 15th October at 2 pm, in the AStA (Wilhelm-Waldeyer-Str. 16)
One of the biggest challenges of studying in Germany for foreign students is the proof of income. The 12,000 Euros that must be blocked, or for some students brought to Germany in cash, stops a good number of people from applying. And that is only for the first year. For an extension of the resident permit you either have to block 12,000 Euros again or you have to provide a contract that shows you are making more than 992 Euros a month to support yourself.
If, for so-called ‘foreigners’, a residence permit is conditional on either earning a secure income or – as is the case for students – providing proof of funds amounting to around 12,000 euros a year and completing their studies quickly, this is not just a problem for them. Basically their right to reside is linked to work or income so it is particularly likely for them to be in precarious employment. They are rarely unionised. As students or PhD candidates, they are often particularly exploited by ‘bosses’. At the same time, like students in general, they act as low-wage competition for regular employees.
Science knows no boundaries. Productive knowledge acquisition can only be achieved through international cooperation. Particularly when it comes to solving global problems – the majority of which are created in developed industrialised nations – there can never be enough ‘knowledge transfer’ to the societies of the Global South. Nor will any of the problems here be solved by denying anyone the opportunity to engage with the world through scientifically sound, up-to-date knowledge.
On the contrary: international students in particular, bring crucial new ideas, fresh perspectives or, in some cases, previously unknown approaches to the scientific debate, thereby making a special contribution to the general advancement of knowledge. Furthermore, education is an indivisible, universal human right. After 500 years of colonialism and the violent exploitation of the Global South, legal equality between international and ‘local’ students in terms of student finance is the bare minimum of what could even begin to be called ‘educational justice’.
Enough is enough, that’s why we say: Abolish the Sperrkonto and other such racist measures. Instead, BAföG should be for everyone – regardless of their country of origin!
How we can work towards this and take matters into our own hands is what we want to discuss in our meeting.
For this we will need everyone so come along!