Mainland students can't return to Taiwan

More than 8,300 students from the Chinese mainland who are enrolled in Taiwan universities are unable to go back due to restrictions by island authorities, the mainland Taiwan affairs authority said on Thursday.

The State Council Taiwan Affairs Office called on island authorities and universities to take responsibility and handle the problem to protect the rights of mainland students.

Universities in Taiwan began new terms at the end of last month, but mainland students were unable to return to the island because visits by mainland residents to Taiwan have been suspended since Feb 6.

After the novel coronavirus outbreak, the island's ruling Democratic Progressive Party escalated measures to restrict mainland residents from traveling to Taiwan, the office said.

Universities did not make proper arrangements for mainland students to return but still required the students to pay school fees on time. Some even asked them to postpone their enrollment for one term after the fee was charged, it said.

Most of those students will study on the island for four to seven years, and some are supposed to graduate this year, according to the office.

"It is obviously unreasonable for the island to not allow mainland students to return to school while the universities are open for normal classes," said Zhu Fenglian, a spokeswoman for the office.

The delay affects their graduation and employment, she said.

Zhu stressed that the DPP authority and relevant universities on the island should not take a one-sided approach when emphasizing epidemic prevention, because to do so ignores students' rights for education.

They should change their unreasonable restrictions on mainland students, help them return to school and make necessary epidemic prevention arrangements, Zhu said.

If the students are unable to return or have to delay their studies, the universities should arrange for a solution that minimizes economic losses, she said.

By the end of Wednesday, Taiwan had reported 100 confirmed cases, including 22 discharged patients and one death, statistics show.

According to the office, students from Taiwan enrolled in universities on the mainland have yet to return to school.

Educational authorities will decide when universities can resume classes based on local conditions.

The epidemic prevention and control measures and academic arrangements have been in place at some mainland universities to prepare for the new term. Students from Taiwan will follow the same arrangements as those from the mainland, the office said.

"Although the outbreak has affected socioeconomic life on the mainland, the mainland will care for students from Taiwan as always," Zhu said.