Hundreds of Indian students enrolled at Germany’s IU International University of Applied Sciences in Berlin now face deportation or forced remote learning after the local immigration office (LEA) rejected or revoked their visas, ruling that the university’s hybrid programmes fail to meet strict “full-time, in-person” requirements under tightened 2025 policies.
These students, who invested €20,000–€30,000 expecting vibrant on-campus experiences, report profound financial devastation and mental anguish; IU attributes the chaos to an abrupt LEA policy reversal in early 2025 despite its accreditations, has suspended new international admissions to its Berlin campus, and shifted to mandatory in-person classes from October 2025, while courts back the stricter attendance mandates amid stalled appeals.
Shattered Savings and Stories of Despair
The human toll is stark, with over 500 international students predominantly from India receiving sudden emails from Berlin’s LEA demanding they leave Germany within days, upending lives built on years of savings and sacrifices back home.
One student from Mumbai shared in a widely viewed video: “We sold family assets for this dream, arrived for campus life, only to pack bags from hostels while fees vanish without refunds,” capturing the betrayal felt by many who relocated post-visa approval.
IU spokesperson Anna von Schiernding expressed regret, stating the university possesses valid national accreditation but is caught in “guerrilla warfare” with authorities over its model of online modules supplemented by occasional in-person seminars.
LEA officials, however, maintain a firm line: “Visa regulations under Section 16b of the Residence Act require verifiable physical presence to prevent programme abuse and ensure genuine study,” a stance echoed in recent denials at Indian embassies for similar hybrid courses.
Policy Reversal and Escalating Crisis
This nightmare unfolded in early 2025 when Berlin’s immigration authorities abruptly scrutinised IU’s long-standing hybrid offerings, triggered by anonymous complaints about inadequate oversight and low attendance.
A pivotal court ruling soon followed, upholding the LEA’s interpretation that many sessions did not qualify as “on-campus,” effectively nullifying prior approvals and stranding students mid-degree.
Compounding the issue, Germany’s July 2025 abolition of the informal “remonstration procedure” for visa disputes has left appeals more arduous, pushing affected students into legal limbo without quick remedies.
IU, Germany’s largest private university with over 100,000 enrollees, swiftly discontinued online and hybrid options for new international intakes, launched a free visa assistance service, and mandated full in-person attendance from October yet current students remain in uncertainty, with Reddit forums and social media ablaze with warnings against the institution.
Broader context reveals rising scrutiny on private universities amid Germany’s cap on international student visas, aiming to prioritise public institutions and curb perceived “visa shopping”.
Roots in Hybrid Hopes and Systemic Shifts
IU’s appeal lay in its flexible, affordable programmes marketed globally as gateways to Germany’s job market, drawing ambitious Indians seeking master’s degrees in business and tech amid competitive public university quotas.
Pre-2025, hybrid formats thrived with embassy nods, but the LEA’s pivot possibly influenced by overcrowding in Berlin exposed vulnerabilities in private education models reliant on digital delivery.
Student groups on platforms like Facebook report coordinated efforts for class-action suits, while IU insists compliance with federal standards and offers relocation to fully in-person campuses elsewhere in Germany, though logistical hurdles persist.
This saga mirrors wider 2025 reforms, including blocked accounts hikes and language mandates, squeezing international mobility as Germany balances labour needs with integration concerns.
The Logical Indian’s Perspective
Amid this heartbreak, rigid bureaucracy tramples aspirations forged through trust, financial peril, and cultural leaps, demanding urgent empathy from German authorities, IU, and embassies to deliver refunds, transparent guidelines, and expedited resolutions that honour human dignity.
The Logical Indian stands for harmony and coexistence, advocating dialogue-driven reforms in global education to nurture dreams rather than dismantle them, fostering kindness through fair policies that uplift vulnerable seekers of knowledge.
