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STUDENTS from non-EU countries demonstrated yesterday over what they say is an unfair violation of their right to work outside college hours.
The third-country nationals said that the government only permits them to work at very specific occupations, robbing them of the chance to train and learn their field.&nbsp;
Scores of students gathered at Eleftheria Square in Nicosia before making their way to ministries of labour and interior.&nbsp;
Students working &ldquo;in a field related to their studies (can) gain valuable experience&rdquo;, a statement from the students said.
&ldquo;For example, a computer science student can work in an information technology company and a hotel management student in a hotel,&rdquo; it added.&nbsp;
The students say that despite the popular misconception that any money they earn will leave the country, students are not allowed to send money to their home countries. &ldquo;The money we earn is used to pay for our expenses,&rdquo; the statement said.&nbsp;
&ldquo;We&rsquo;ve spent a lot of money on our education,&rdquo; 31-year-old MBA student Mohammad Mahamudul Hasam said.&nbsp;
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s very difficult for us to survive in this very expensive economic climate,&rdquo; another student said.&nbsp;
Although students are allowed to work up to 20 hours per week during term time the labour ministry requires them to get a contract by their employer to be stamped by the labour department.&nbsp;
&ldquo;No one is willing to do that for short-term work and getting anything stamped by the labour office is hard,&rdquo; a student said.&nbsp;
Yet failure to secure a contract gives the immigration department the right to extradite students for breaking the conditions of entry.&nbsp;
The relevant EU Directive does not touch national legislation on part-time work and it allows the host member state to take into account its labour market situation.&nbsp;
But the students feel that the labour ministry has gone beyond the spirit of the law and is refusing to approve employment contracts for third-country students.&nbsp;
Labour Minister Sotiroula Charalambous who met with the students yesterday said that some of those refusals were due to the fact that prospective employers had prior obligations to hire previous employees before hiring third-country nationals.&nbsp;
Those employers &ldquo;were trying to use students from third countries to cover needs which were previously covered from permanent or seasonal staff who were driven to unemployment,&rdquo; Charalambous said.&nbsp;
&ldquo;Because of the current labour market conditions we cannot enlarge the list of jobs students can be employed at,&rdquo; Charalambous said.&nbsp;
&nbsp;&ldquo;Allowing us to get employed in different occupations will make Cyprus a more attractive higher education destination,&rdquo; the third-country national students said.&nbsp;
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