Three students who were arrested last month in the US for violating their visas returned to Egypt last week. Reem Leila speaks with one of them Arriving at the airport after travelling half way across the world, the three exchange students were met with tears of joy by their families. They were relieved to be home after a failed adventure, but it only took a few more hours of respite before their university called them in for disciplinary action. The three, Mohamed Abdallah, 20, Ahmed El-Laqet, 19, and Mustafa El-Gaafari, 18, were ordered out of the US by a judge on 20 September when they were found to have violated their student visa regulations. They, along with eight other students from Mansoura University, were the subject of a nationwide alert in the US when they failed to show up at Montana State University as part of a cultural exchange programme. Seven of the eight will also arrive in Egypt within the coming few days, while one student might stay and appeal the verdict. According to Abdallah, who is studying French at Mansoura University, they made bad decisions because they were scared after other students in the group disappeared from JFK airport in New York on 29 July. "We decided to go sightseeing and bought bus tickets to San Francisco," Abdallah told Al-Ahram Weekly. "Then we bought bus tickets to Des Moines because the relative of someone in the group lived there." Des Moines is where the three were arrested on 11 August on suspicion of violating the conditions of their student visas. Abdallah, along with El-Laqet and El-Gaafari, had originally hoped to extend their student visas beyond the exchanged programme in order to continue studying in the US. The embarrassing and potentially dangerous adventure began at the end of July when only six of the 17 students participating in the programme reported to Montana State University on time, while 11 were unaccounted for. In early August a nationwide alert was issued for their arrest, and by mid- August the tardy group had been taken into custody. US officials said that none of them posed a credible terrorist threat, but prosecutors pushed to have the students deported quickly and opposed releasing any of them on bond. Abdallah revealed that his defence "tried to persuade the judge to set a $10,000 cash bail, but prosecutors appealed, forcing us to remain in custody while the appeal is decided." Abdallah believes that the main reason which encouraged them to violate their visas and flee JFK was Mansoura University's negligence in sending an escort to accompany the group. According to Magdi Abu Rayan, head of Mansoura University, students on previous cultural exchange programmes were unaccompanied because a chaperone was not included in the terms of the programme. Moreover, there were three US supervisors waiting for them at the airport to accompany them to Montana University, but they deceived them and absconded. "As soon as these three students arrived, the university's disciplinary board began investigations with them," disclosed Abu Rayan. "The university is still waiting for the board's decision on punishment." Abdallah refused to give any details about the accusation directed at the university for collecting LE22,000 per student as expenses for the trip without issuing any receipts. "I am under investigation now and I do not want any more trouble with the university," he said. In response to the accusation, Abu Rayan said that the only money which the students did not have a receipt for was the $300 insurance money. "The university could not issue receipts due to shortage in time, as it was paid on the eve of the trip," he explained. "In all cases, the university will return this amount to them, but they have official proof of all the other money they paid and the university has copies of every piece of paper regarding this trip." According to Nagwa Nawar, head of Mansoura University's English Language Research Centre, the runaway students will be barred from any future sponsorship by the university. Nawar further noted that the university's initial plan to partially sponsor two of the best students on this trip to continue studying in the US has been shelved. "After what happened, the idea is now on hold," she said.
