“Of the students enrolled this academic year, 37 were informed that they no longer retain the temporary protection status,” stated a spokesperson from the University of Coimbra’s rector’s office in a written response, without revealing the nationality of the students affected by AIMA’s decision.
On Sunday, it was reported that the State intended to cancel the status for a group of displaced students, highlighting the case of three Nigerian students from the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Lisbon, who were studying in Ukraine when the war erupted in Eastern Europe.
According to the University of Coimbra, the institution has hosted 109 students of various nationalities under the temporary protection status since 2022/2023, including 22 of Ukrainian nationality.
The UC confirmed that it received an official indication from AIMA listing students from third countries (non-Ukrainians) enrolled and registered at this higher education institution who no longer hold a certificate of temporary protection, created in December 2022.
When asked if the University of Coimbra contested the indication given by AIMA, the rector’s office stated that it “acts in full compliance with the legal and administrative framework determined by the Portuguese State.”
Despite this, it admitted to seeking “to clarify the reasons behind the decision made so that any action taken can be properly grounded in consistent facts and arguments.”
Regarding whether the students will soon stop attending UC, the rector’s office clarified that such attendance depends, “as with any other non-national student situation, on a residence permit from the competent authorities.”
In March 2022, the University of Coimbra immediately offered to accommodate war refugee students from Ukraine to the Portuguese government.
“Given the most recent developments in the international landscape, the UC stands ready to accommodate war refugee students from Ukraine,” stated the UC’s rector, Amílcar Falcão, at the time.
