Parents whose children are studying in universities abroad gathered in front of UNESCO in Beirut to protest against “President Michel Aoun failing to sign the amended law of the student dollar law” and return it to the house of representatives to re-approve it and enforce it.
The protesting parents sought to access the perimeter of the UNESCO Palace where the house of representatives session was being held. They managed to reach the gate but were stopped by security forces.
They announced that they had decided to “adopt a road map that will shape the next phase and set the goals for its movement.”
With the economic crisis aggravating and no solution to the capital control imposed by the banks to date, parents have found themselves struggling with a new critical issue that has developed with the Ukrainian-Russian crisis.
They asked the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to develop an emergency plan to help the Lebanese students in Eastern European countries, and exempt them from the high financial fees imposed on them through the Lebanese embassies.
They expect their government to lend its due support by providing the students with financial assistance and reducing the prices of tickets set by the Middle East Airlines so they can come home safely.
The protesting parents also demanded that the student law cover as well all students enrolled in private universities in Lebanon.
“If the responsible authorities do not respond to this protest, we will step up our movements in various ways to hold the legislative authority fully responsible for losing the future of our young children,” the parents association concluded.
In response, the Presidency Press Office issued a statement rejecting the allegations against the president, claiming them false.
This is not the first time the parents of students studying abroad organize a protest. It has been ongoing for over a year, also abroad with students protesting for a prompt solution to their critical situation.
With no effective action from the state as of yet, many Lebanese students abroad had to quit their education and return home for being unable to pay their tuition and their living expenses.
