How do international university students really feel about life in Leeds?

Support for the far-right movement in the UK is growing across the country. This has led to increasing rhetoric about migrants and the topic of immigration. I spoke to international students in Leeds about their experiences studying in the UK, and asked them about their concerns and hopes for the future.

Awareness of UK politics

Leeds First Direct Bank Arena, where the Reform Party rally was held last week (via Geograph Britain and Ireland under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 license)

The students I spoke to had many different reasons for coming to the UK. However, very few people I interviewed had much knowledge of, or concern about, the politics in the country. One person told me: “Students don’t know policies before getting here, even the public struggles to keep up,” making it difficult to have a clear picture of the UK from abroad.

Worry about the future

A future of remaining in the UK after graduation is an unlikely one for many international students. Even though one student was happy studying in Leeds for four years, she felt that she “wouldn’t be appreciated as much as [she] would’ve been back home” if she wanted to pursue a future career in the UK.

When asked about public acceptance of migrants working in the UK, she added: “I wish more people did but I don’t know how it would go as a visibly Muslim girl”. The political atmosphere was something she was very aware of. She mentioned how during heightened periods of far-right protests over recent years, she had felt scared to go out and risk having a negative experience for multiple months during the political tensions around immigration.

One student also worried the far-right movement was impacting people’s attitudes toward international students.

“With Leeds being multicultural, it would affect a lot of people, if people’s mindset changes on foreign people,” She said. She also added that the wider student experience could become far more negative in the light of more divisive rhetoric around immigration.

Barriers to speaking out and seeking justice

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An exchange student at a cultural exchange event with local people.

One student expressed her frustrations at overall lack of justice for racism in public, some of which she’d experienced herself, and said that “people who do this are never able to be held to account.”

This postgraduate student had a desire to join protests on matters of injustice, but as an international student, this was not always simple. She comes from a country that does not promote protest and often jails protesters. Therefore, she struggles to understand what actions she can take in the recurring debates about immigration.

She explained: “If the university gave guidelines or encouragement on how international students can get involved, I would be less scared.”

She also feels the risks in her position are too high, so struggles to come out and talk about racism. When describing standing up to abuse in public, she said: “It’s not okay to accept it or normalise it. We think even after a long time we have accepted it, but it’s never ‘normal’ for us.” Through all these experiences, the issue of immigration is never far from her mind.

The importance of peer support and community

Despite there being challenges, the positive community experiences were plentiful too. One undergraduate student eagerly mentioned an initiative where international students can meet locals for dinner together. Additionally, another student said she was glad she was able to meet local people through a university program.

The majority believed student groups more than the university or wider city can support international students. More generally, building friendships, despite politics, allowed everyone I spoke with to enjoy their UK university life. This was regardless of their individual immigration journeys. These networks are essential for any international student wishing to thrive.

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