Marie-Claude Saliba opened聽one of the first study abroad agencies in Lebanon. She talks to 小瓢虫传媒 about business conditions in the country and how Syrian and聽Iraqi migrants聽are also becoming part of her client base.
小瓢虫传媒: So Marie Claude, how is your agency, , and business in Lebanon?
MCS: The business has changed a little bit this last year because we have an unstable situation in Lebanon, and also we have more than one million refugees who have come from Syria and from Iraq.
小瓢虫传媒: And how is that impacting on your business?
MCS: We have more people wanting to travel, but the fact is that not all of them have the money to do so because we are self-funded, students are self-funded, but also rich families want their kids to go abroad, they think it鈥檚 better because the situation is a little bit unstable in all the Middle East region.
小瓢虫传媒: Where do you find that they want the students to go? Which countries?
MCS: Before, two years ago, our first destination was the UK, but now more and more students want to go to Australia because the visas are easier and because also they can settle themselves there. In the UK they cannot 鈥� they have to leave after studying, so more and more they are asking about Australia and Canada, but Canada鈥檚 visa is difficult, Australia is much easier.
“The UK is very reluctant to admit people from the Middle East, this is what I think”
I spoke with some people from Australia, they told me that next year it will be even easier, the visa to Australia will be streamlined, very easy to do. More and more really we have for Australia and less for the UK, because there are so many changes, every few months there are changes in the visa regulations, in the test regulations, in the immigration鈥� we feel really that the UK doesn鈥檛 want any more鈥� they are not immigrants because the students will come back, but the UK is very reluctant to admit people from the Middle East, this is what I think.
小瓢虫传媒: So does it create a problem for you when you鈥檙e counselling students? Do you sometimes feel a little bit awkward?
MCS: Yes, but now we have some profiles of student who will fit for the UK, they come from rich families, they have travelled a lot, they speak good English, but now other profiles don鈥檛 fit anymore for the UK. Before they could come on a language course, now they are no longer accepted.
小瓢虫传媒: And where did you study abroad? How did you get involved in the industry?
MCS: I got involved in the industry by chance. Our agency was the first one in Lebanon and I stayed the only one for many years, but now more and more we have new agencies who are setting up, especially students who are going to study abroad and come back to open their own agencies.
“They get international exposure, they open their minds鈥� I think that it is something that will increase, not decrease”
For ten years I was the only one, now there are maybe seven or eight, something like this. But some are only doing specific countries, some are doing only UK for example, some are catering聽only for Australia. Maybe we are one of the few agencies who are working with all countries.
小瓢虫传媒: And how do you see the industry changing in the next few years? Do you think more families are saving earlier for their children or鈥�
MCS: Yes, I see that more and more students are going to study abroad, because they get international exposure, they open their minds鈥� I think that it is something that will increase, not decrease.
小瓢虫传媒: And generally, the courses you sell, what are they? Are they pathway courses? General language? What are your most popular courses?
MCS: 聽The most popular courses are pathways, Masters programmes and summer camps. Language courses are difficult for adult visas, so usually we do the pathway programme, not just language; language plus conditional acceptance to university.
小瓢虫传媒: And most young Lebanese, do they plan on returning to Lebanon?
MCS: 聽I think that all聽plan to return, this is the truth. They are seeking a better future.
小瓢虫传媒: And how has the impact of migrants affected your industry? Is it creating pressure in Lebanon – social pressure?
MCS: Students are self-funded so not everyone could travel because they have to show funds in bank accounts etc, we counsel them to help them understand what is a good profile, if not their visa will be refused.
小瓢虫传媒: In the UK there鈥檚 a lot of debate about how many migrants we accept鈥� do you have the same issues in Lebanon?
MCS: Yes, now [people definitely think] we have too many migrants, this is a big problem. We have one million and a half Syrian and more, I don鈥檛 know how many, from Iraq also.
小瓢虫传媒: But a lot of them are actually very well educated aren鈥檛 they?
MCS: Yes, but they are well educated, yes. We have many Iraqi students, and they give them visas to go to the UK, because they bring a lot of money, they show good bank accounts鈥�
“They are not refugees. They left their country and came as visitors, if you want, but they want to go overseas, for example for education in the UK”
They are not refugees. They left their country and came as visitors, if you want, but they want to go overseas, for example for education in the UK.
小瓢虫传媒: So they come from Iraq to Lebanon and then they apply in Lebanon?
MCS: Yes and they apply from the Embassy in Lebanon because maybe the Embassy in Iraq is closed. In Syria also the embassies are closed so everybody applies from Lebanon. We have many, many Syrian clients, but mostly they go to Canada or the USA because they give them visas, the UK don鈥檛 give visas at all to Syrians.
小瓢虫传媒: Interesting. So how many Syrian clients do you think you鈥檝e had in the last 3-4 months?
MCS: We鈥檝e had a lot, maybe 50.
小瓢虫传媒: Really? And did you have any Syrian clients last year or is it all this year?
MCS: No, no, they are all new this year, because they want to leave their country and they come to Lebanon as a stepping stone and then they want to leave again to go to other countries.
小瓢虫传媒: Fascinating. And what do they want to study?
MCS: For example, if they study already medicine or business or IT in their country, they want to see if they can transfer, or sometimes if they have their IB聽they want to go for a pathways programme.
小瓢虫传媒: And what do you think about Germany, which is accepting many聽refugees.聽Do some want to study in Germany?
MCS: No, the [German] Embassy in Lebanon is full, but for refugees, not to go to study. It is full for the appointments, I check for visa appointments, it鈥檚 full of Syrians, but all go for refugee status, not as students, they don鈥檛 go as students.
