Being an international student in Turkey: "When I say I'm from Pakistan, they say 'you are pretty fair'"

According to data from the Higher Education Council (YÖK), the number of international students in Turkey has more than doubled since 2014, reaching over 260,000 in 2022. The latest figures indicate that Turkey is currently hosting 650,000 international students.

At the top of the list are over 47,000 Syrian students, followed by Azerbaijani nationals in second place and students from Turkmenistan in third.

However, international students still encounter numerous challenges in their academic and social lives. Discrimination, language barriers, and housing crises remain prominent issues.

Speaking to bianet, students Mariam C., Isra Mubarak, Shahbano K., and H.A. from Marmara University and İstanbul Bilgi University shed light on the difficulties of being international students in Turkey.

Lebanese national Mariam C., a Communication Faculty student at İstanbul Bilgi University, moved to Turkey in 2019 after the explosion in Beirut. She chose İstanbul Bilgi University for its reputation as a quality educational institution, emphasizing that the tuition fees were much more reasonable compared to universities in Beirut.

H.A., a 23-year-old Jordanian studying industrial engineering at Marmara University, echoed Mariam's sentiments. They both emphasized one of the key reasons for choosing Turkey for education was not requiring a visa to come.

Education fees are paid in dollars

However, Mariam C. and H.A. highlighted that the residence permit application process, which is handled by the schools, was relatively uncomplicated for them. On the other hand, Shahbano K., a 22-year-old Pakistani studying at İstanbul Bilgi University, pointed out that she did not receive any support from her school during the residency process.

Describing the residence permit application as exhausting and expensive, Shahbano K. expressed that the intense pressures and restrictions on women in Pakistan were the main reasons for her desire to continue her education abroad.

Racism at banks

One common challenge for international students is dealing with banks. Mariam C. shared her experience of facing racist behavior at a bank while trying to make a transfer to pay her tuition. Despite having all the necessary documents, the bank employees insisted that they couldn't process the transfer unless she had a Turkish acquaintance with her.

Furthermore, Mariam C. and H.A. both emphasized the necessity of paying their education fees in dollars rather than Turkish lira. They underlined the high cost of tuition and the lack of an option for installment payments due to international students not having permission to get a credit card.

Housing problems

Shahbano K. mentioned that finding accommodation as an international student in İstanbul is challenging. She highlighted high rental prices and some landlords taking advantage of international students by charging them higher rates. She also emphasized the communication barrier, stating that not knowing Turkish makes it nearly impossible to communicate.

Isra Mubarak, a third-year student at İstanbul Bilgi University from Pakistan, shared her experiences of dealing with the Immigration Office during the process of moving to Turkey. She described encountering rude and racist behavior from the employees, emphasizing an incident where she was yelled at and kicked out for missing a document.

Classfying people based on skin color

Additionally, Mariam C. pointed out the difficulties of socializing with Turkish students on campus, stating that it was challenging to make connections. She expressed spending most of her time on campus only for classes and leaving right after. Despite the hardships, she mentioned that one eventually gets used to spending holidays and birthdays alone.

Isra Mubarak highlighted the issue of people classifying her based on her skin color. When she says she is from Pakistan, she often receives responses like "You don't look like it; you're quite fair," and people say it as if it's a compliment.

Housing problems

All the students mentioned the significant role of financial challenges. Shahbano K. emphasized the difficulties of dealing with real estate agents and getting charged excessive amounts due to not knowing Turkish. Mariam C. added that some landlords tried to raise her rent from 8,000 TL to 20,000 TL in one go.

Shahbano K. concluded by saying that living as an international student involves facing numerous difficulties and exploitation. "We constantly have to deal with finding a house, paperwork, and university problems, and throughout this process, there is no place where we can get any support. We are on our own against all these problems."

Despite these challenges, many international students choose Turkey for higher education due to the favorable pricing and scholarship opportunities offered by various universities. According to UNESCO's 2018 data, Turkey ranks 10th in the world for hosting international students, with 125,138 students.

In the top 10 countries attracting the most international students worldwide, Turkey is preceded by the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, Germany, Russia, France, Canada, Japan, and China. (İD/RT/VK)