Migration im Prozess institutioneller Verarbeitung

Analyses of non-EU citizens’ experiences of studying in Germany reveal that their lives and studies are characterised by financial problems, high dropout rates and residency worries, with the latter proving to be the foreign students’ greatest problem area during their studies abroad. However, to date there has been a lack of research into how administrative decisions on residency are made, how they affect the lives of the visiting students and what support non-EU students receive at German universities. In this study, the author demonstrates that such foreign students tend to fail in their studies in Germany due to bureaucracy rather than a lack of motivation or performing poorly in their subjects. Moreover, those responsible for advising international students often receive no backing from their university’s administrative body and therefore refuse to help students who are at risk of losing their residence permits for fear of facing disciplinary action.