What worries Vietnamese students about the Trump presidency?

Many Vietnamese students want to stay in the US for a while after finishing school, but they are concerned about US President-elect Donald Trump's threat to expel illegal immigrants.

According to Trang, a Vietnamese student in the US, nearly all students in the US want to stay there and get jobs after graduation. “However, the narrow gate is getting even narrower with Trump having been elected as the new President,” she said.

Students have every reason to worry, because Trump’s statements all emphasize that he will tighten immigration policy by expelling illegal immigrants.

It has been always difficult to fulfill the administrative procedures to study or work in the US. Students have to prove their financial capability, undergo rigorous interviews at the US Embassy and spend big money to fund the studies. From now on, the difficulties will increase.

Open Doors Report 2016 released on November 15 showed that the number of Vietnamese students pursuing postsecondary studies at colleges and universities in the US surged to 21,403 in the 2015-2016 academic year, with Vietnam ranking sixth among countries with the highest numbers of students in the country.

With the high growth rate of 14.3 percent compared with 2015, the number of Vietnamese students in the US has grown steadily over the last decade.

The visa policy, if changed, will cause a big impact as it affects the lives and studies of tens of thousands of students.

Economists said that the policies Trump plans to apply will affect the poor and expats in the US, including students. The effect will be not only in administrative procedures, but also in social relations and living environments.

Some have warned that expats could be the victims of racism which has existed for many years and may become more serious during the Trump presidency.

Linh, a Vietnamese student, commented that racism, which has eased over the last decades, may inflame again as racists are encouraged by Trump’s policy on immigration restriction.

“I really am worried about this,” she said.

However, students have been reassured there is no need to worry and that things will not be too bad.

In fact, expelling illegal immigrants is not new in the US. Under Obama’s administration, a large number of immigrants was expelled, with 91 percent of them criminals or those who had committed illegal actions in the US.

Thanh Lich / vietnamnet