Public Story
Education Island
In the tiny self-declared Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) over 100,000
mostly international students are currently enrolled in a total of 20 universities,
hence its nickname: “education island”.
The revenues from these students, of which as many as 20,000 come from African countries,
are the backbone of the economy of this internationally unrecognized piece of land.
Many of the young Africans were brought to the island by malicious agents advertising
free scholarships for “studying in Europe”. Yet this is not Europe.
While they struggle to pay tuition fees and cover the high costs of living,
many face racism, economic hardship and a general feeling of being stuck.
When going back home is not an option and the gates to Europe are closed,
life on a “no man’s island” often gets tough.
The project was made possible by the #blueborder reporting project
by Café Babel. There is an english text available.
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