Thousands of teachers, pupils, students and their parents but also civil servants including health personnel, pensioners and workers joined their voices in protesting the high cost of living, demanding better education conditions, higher salaries and lower housing costs. Τhe protests followed the 24-hour strike called by the primary and secondary teachers unions. In Athens, Thessaloniki […]
A new proposed $70,000 fee for international students who are seeking to work in the U.S. after graduation is the latest Trump administration policy targeting scholars from abroad.
After a protest clip went viral, a teenager’s life was torn apart by threats that sent her and her family into hiding. Plus, a book on citizen journalism
Before 24 July, a person I will call R was preoccupied with the ordinary routines of teenage life: experimenting with makeup,grumbling over mathematics homeworkand hanging out with friends at a tea stall.
That month, as the fever of student protests spread across the country, the 15-year-old watched on her phone as young people poured into Jantar Mantar, the designated protest site in Delhi, demanding education reform. She went too. But an 11-second video clip from the protest site, in which she made crude and profane remarks about the prime minister, Narendra Modi, upended her life.
Teachers will launch a 24-hour strike across Greece on Wednesday, October 21, protesting against staff shortages in schools, issues within educational infrastructure, excessive class sizes, and persistent inadequacies regarding school facilities in many parts of the country. The teachers will be supported in their strike by pupils and university students as well as left-wing parties, […]
Scottish university’s annual tradition once involved giving out raisins but fancy dress and shaving cream now in vogue
Nobody at the University of St Andrews in Scotland seems to remember how Raisin Monday became a giant foam fight. For 600 years, first-year students have taken part in the ritual of thanking older students for mentoring them through their first few weeks of university life.
Traditionally, freshers would give their elders a pound of raisins – hence the name. This Monday however, hundreds wore fancy dress as they streamed on to St Salvator’s lower college lawn at 11am armed with cans of shaving foam, covering one another in soapy clouds as they have for the past few decades. Groups of students dress as Smurfs, mice, bananas, grandmas, sunflowers and chefs to participate in the annual rite of passage.
Over the past year, Business Insider has spoken to more than 20 H-1B visa holders and hopefuls about their decisions to opt in, push through, and sometimes give up on the H-1B American Dream as the Trump administration has become increasingly hostile to foreign workers.
In a statement, a White House spokesperson said the goal of the $100,000 H-1B fee is to focus on sponsoring "truly highly specialized temporary labor." A Department of State spokesperson said the US is unapologetic about its "America first visa policies" and thatthe administration is working with partners to facilitate necessary visas. A Department of Labor spokesperson said the administration is protecting American jobs and increasing wages.
Keep reading to see what life has been like for people affected by the US's immigration policy changes.
Soumi Chanda, 35
Paromita Chatterjee for BI
Soumi Chanda had spent 13 years building a life in the US when a 2025 layoff put her H-1B status at risk.
Chanda moved from Kolkata to Spokane, Washington, in 2013 for graduate school. She was selected for an H-1B on her first attempt in 2021 — "pure luck," she said — and Amazon later took over her sponsorship, prompting her move to Seattle.
When Amazon laid her off, Chanda had 60 days to find a new sponsor or leave the country. "Sixty days sounded impossible from the start," she said. Her search came as debate intensified over the proposed fee. "Even with Amazon on my résumé, I didn't get a single interview the following month," she said.
When preparing to leave the US, Chanda made her two cats her priority. She spent weeks arranging their international travel and paid roughly $5,000 for paperwork, along with thousands more to break her lease, dispose of her belongings, and secure last-minute travel. In total, she estimates the move cost her $18,000.
Now back in Kolkata, she's still working out whether India will be her long-term home. "There's plenty here I value, and other things, as a feminist, I find harder to reconcile."
Paromita Chatterjee for BI
Even with Amazon on my résumé, I didn't get a single interview the following month.
Luciana Pereyra moved from Peru to the US at 17 on a tennis scholarship. After graduating, she landed a marketing role at Ohio State. Her H-1B was approved in April 2024. She described that time as living in "survival mode," knowing that losing a job could also mean losing her home.
In December 2025, Pereyra said HR contacted her to say that her position would end the following month. She had 60 days to find another employer to sponsor her visa or leave the country. "I treated the job search like the last match of my career," she said.
She focused on university jobs, but the timing worked against her: Many campuses closed for winter break as her grace period began. She said two promising opportunities fell through after prospective employers raised concerns about securing a visa amid the proposed H-1B fees.
Pereyra returned to Peru in March. In Lima, she freelances for a US marketing client, coaches tennis, and is building a small business. She said she would consider moving to the US again, but only if it came with "a real path to permanent residency."
Angela Ponce for BI
I treated the job search like the last match of my career.
Recent changes to US immigration policy have made Mohamed Zeeshan, agreen card holder, more concerned about whether immigrants like him can build stable lives in the country.
He's seen relatives and friends consider countries such as Germany and Australia, rather than the US, because of the difficulty of securing jobs and visas after graduation. The instability surrounding H-1B visas — including the proposed $100,000 fee for new applicants — has reinforced his concerns.
Zeeshan self-petitioned for a green card and received it in 2023, enabling him to live in the US without needing employer sponsorship.
In 2025, he started his own consulting firm. Over the past year, Zeeshan said he has watched the immigration landscape become more uncertain.
He still plans to become a US citizen but says that if he had to rely on an H-1B visa today, he doesn't think he'd do it: "When you're on an H-1B here in the US, you're kind of always on tenterhooks."
"You don't know if you're going to be here next month or two months or three months down the line. That's a very difficult position to be in."
His wife is still waiting for her green card, and the couple is holding off on having children until they have more clarity about her status.
Jared Soares for BI
When you're on an H-1B here in the US, you're kind of always on tenterhooks.
Vivienne Yang found out she was being laid off from her H-1B-sponsored job while she was on vacation in Japan in October 2024.
She spent the rest of the trip speaking with immigration and labor lawyers, emailing her employer, and trying to enjoy sightseeing with her partner.
Yang, who is from Taiwan, managed to get her employment extended for a few weeks, allowing her to fly back to New York. She then switched to a B-2 tourist visa so she could stay in the US longer and search for another job. She went through over 20 job interviews in the next year, all of them unsuccessful.
So, she decided to pivot.
Yang was accepted into a New York acting program, but her application for a US student visa was denied after she returned to Taiwan to apply for it in December 2025. Her American partner now looksafter her two cats in Brooklyn while she remains in Taiwan, living with her family and working as a content creator, business English coach, and freelance consultant.
She has put her US plans on hold. "I don't want to deal with visa issues anytime soon," she said.
"Now I can move on with my life without any regrets because I know I have tried," she said. "I have a better understanding of what living abroad looks like and what American dream looks like in reality."
Sean Marc Lee for BI
I have a better understanding of what living abroad looks like and what American Dream looks like in reality.
Ananya Joshi's plans to build a career in the US came apart in 2025, when a visa setback and a sudden layoff pushed her to look for a future elsewhere.
Joshi had moved from India to Illinois to pursue a master's degree. After graduating in 2024, she joined a Chicago startup developing cultivated meat as a scientist, working on an F-1 Optional Practical Training, or OPT visa.
She was enjoying the work until she learned that her employer could not complete E-Verify, which employers must use to sponsor an extension of STEM graduates' OPT.
From May through July 2025, Joshi interviewed for jobs around the world. She received offers in Canada and Germany and ultimately chose Germany. "Having gone through so much, I realized I needed that stability," she said.
In January, she moved to Rostock, about three hours north of Berlin, to join another lab-grown-meat startup. These days, Joshi is taking German classes and adjusting to what she describes as a slower work culture. She's also learning to navigate a long-distance relationship with her boyfriend, who remains in the US.
Joshi said she would still like to return to the US, but said, "I can't forget what I went through."
Gu Yichen's path to working in the US began in high school, when he spent a year as an exchange student in Yacolt, a small town in Washington State. He later attended college in the US, interning at Amazon before joining the company full-time after graduation.
With a STEM degree, Gu had three chances to enter the H-1B lottery. He was selected on his third try.
In late 2022, Gu left Amazon for a job at Google, despite his manager's warning that the market was becoming unstable. He was laid off the following month, before he had done "a single day of real work."
Gu faced pressure to find a new employer within the 60-day grace period. Rather than take a stopgap role, he returned to China for a break before ultimately rejoining his former Amazon team in the US on an I-140, an immigration petition that can support a green-card application.
He has since applied for a green card, hoping it will give him "more freedom in both my personal life and my career."
Over the past year, he said the biggest challenge has remained the same: His ability to stay in the US is tied to his job. "I've been thinking what kind of life I really want to live and what is my real interest in life."
Ian Tuttle for BI
I've been thinking what kind of life I really want to live and what is my real interest in life.
Leaving a six-figure data-scientist job in New York and returning to India in May was not an easy decision for Disha Lamba, but she says being closer to her family — and free from the limits of an employment visa — made it worthwhile.
Lamba moved to the US in 2021 to pursuea master's degree. She later joined CVS Health as a data scientist and learned that she had been selected in the H-1B lottery in March 2026.
By then, however, Lamba had already decided to move home. Though she had a fulfilling job and social life in New York, she struggled with the distance from her parents.
The prospect of managing an H-1B long-term reinforced her decision. Lamba was concerned about the difficulty of obtaining visa stamps to travel, as well as the limits the visa can place on changing employers, taking a career break, or pursuing additional income.
"Anything comes with its pros and cons. H-1B has its pros but also has its cons. I wasn't OK with the cons of being in these restrictions," she said.
After resigning, Lamba moved back to live with her parents and brother. She took a two-month career break and secured a short-term contract role, but she's still looking for a permanent job. Nonetheless, she's still happy about her decision.
"Every moment when I get to hug my parents, that's when I realize, no, this was all worth it," she said.
After three failed attempts to obtain an H-1B visa, Sunjana Ramanais reinventing her "American Dream."
Ramana moved from Hyderabad, India, to New York in 2021 for her master's degree. After graduating in 2023, she joined a global insurance company. Her employer entered her in the H-1B lottery in 2023, 2024, and 2025. She was not selected.
When her work authorization ended in early 2026, Ramana had to leave the US.
"When I didn't get the visa, I was really, really clueless. I thought that was the end of everything that I had built for three years," she said, adding, "but I realized just a couple of months later that there are so many additional options that I didn't know existed."
Instead of returning to India, Ramana secured a 2-year UK visathat is not tied to one employer. She chose London as her base, where she could pursue the entrepreneurship she had wanted to explore in the US.
Ramana was accepted into Antler's founder-in-residence program and spent two months building Flax, a two-person tech company that helps AI founders and builders. In May, she moved into a product-management role in fintech.
"I want to go back and tell my younger self not to associate the 'dream' with America or a country for that matter, because it doesn't matter where you are. The dream should be aligned to you and your goals."
Ayesha Kazim for BI
When I didn't get the visa, I was really, really clueless. I thought that was the end of everything that I had built for three years
An H-1B selection brought immediate relief for Madhur Mehta this year, but it has not resolved the uncertainty that shapes his and his fiancée's plans in the US.
Mehta moved to the US in 2021, earned a master's degree in 2023, and was eligible for three years of student work authorization. Amazon offered him both a job and sponsorship.
He joined the company in 2025 as a program manager.
Butover the past year, while the company was trying to get him an H-1B,Mehta grew concerned about changes to the lottery. He began exploring backup plans for his US life, including an EB-1A visa and opportunities in Canada and Australia.
He learned he was selected for an H-1B in March, potentially giving him the chance to work and remain in the US for another three years.
"It was a big relief," he said, adding, "It's like someone has taken a 100-pound load off your mind," he said.
Mehta's fiancée, who is also from India, has one remaining chance in the H-1B lottery before her work authorization expires.
"It's hard, you know, obviously you can't plan," Mehta said, adding, "unless we are both very clear on what our visa status is."
Chona Kasinger for BI
It's like someone has taken a 100-pound load off your mind.
Shreya Mishra Reddy left the US in January after not being selected for an H-1B visa. Her plan was to leave the country and keep applying for US jobs from abroad.
That plan, however, started to feel unrealistic after the Trump administration proposed the $100,000 fee on some H-1B applicants.
Though the fee has been challenged in court and is not being enforced, she said the uncertainty changed her mind: "I've decided not to pursue H-1B or any role in the US right now."
Reddy had moved to the US in 2021 for a master's degree in engineering management at Duke University. After graduating, she was hired by Visa, but her student work authorization expired before she could secure an H-1B visa.
She's now in Toronto with her husband on a tourist visa and weighing whether to base herself in Canada or India. During a career break, Reddy has been writing a fiction book and building a handloom brand while exploring fintech roles.
In March, Reddy was accepted into a master's program in psychology at the University of Pennsylvania. She decided not to attend, citing uncertainty around student visas and the US job market.
She said she's optimistic about her future and wishes she'd been more open to opportunities in other countries earlier, rather than banking everything on the US.
"I was thinking that H-1B would pan out for me, it didn't, and it's something that I definitely regret."
I was thinking that H-1B would pan out for me, it didn't, and it's something that I definitely regret.
School’s 1,400 Jewish students were never approached for testimony by working group behind report, which is made up of Jews; writer says 'a very diverse group' of people were involved
Young people have been taking to the streets across Europe, including in Spain, France and Portugal, to protest over their unhappiness at the state of schools and the wider cost of living crisis.
In France, high school pupils have clashed with police in often violent protests over long hours, missing teachers, dilapidated classrooms and an opaque university admissions system. Pupils routinely miss months of teaching due to unfilled staff absences.
To protest against shameful conditions in schools is entirely legitimate. The government’s response is not
As a secondary school pupil in 1994, I took part in protests against a reform that would have allowed French employers to pay young people below the minimum wage. Our campaign was successful, but if we had had to face the terrifying police response unleashed on student protesters in France over recent weeks, I would have stayed at home.
A 14-year-old boy, Eden, suffered a fractured jaw and had teeth knocked out after a police teargas grenade struck him in the face. Sixteen-year-old Maël lost the sight in one eye allegedly after being struck by a shot from an LBD, a form of rubber-bullet launcher. Evan, 15, had his hand blown off in an explosion involving a police stun grenade. And in Dunkirk, a police SUV is alleged to have driven repeatedly at groups of secondary school pupils, as an officer could be heard saying: “Come closer, we’ll smash their fucking faces in.” Accounts from children left terrified by brutal treatment in police custody describe traumatic experiences with severe psychological and physical consequences.
Rokhaya Diallo is a French journalist, film-maker, activist and Guardian Europe columnist
Do you have an opinion on the issues raised in this article? If you would like to submit a response of up to 300 words by email to be considered for publication in our letters section, please click here.
Pete Crockett says the history of British education is not simply one of children dutifully accepting adult instruction, while Simon Dawson saysKitty Sayersmisses the mark when describing English attitudes. Plus a letter from Kevin Donnelly
At Marlborough college, troops were once summoned to dislodge rebellious pupils occupying an island in the school grounds. In the late 1700s, Winchester college experienced several rebellions.
Dozens of people detained after government building and two banks set on fire as tens of thousands march over education costs and corruption
Tens of thousands of students have taken to the streets of Tirana, the Albanian capital, setting alight a government building and two banks and hurling stones at police during a protest over rising education costs and corruption.
Police responded with water cannon and teargas to disperse protesters who started a fire at the ministry of education building, overturned bins and smashed the fronts of local businesses. A branch of Raiffeisen Bank near the education ministry also caught fire.
Say what you will about France’s high schools, they still produce world-class slogan writers. Here’s a brief selection spotted during three weeks of blockades and marches over chronic teacher shortages, overcrowded classes and crumbling buildings:
“Pas d’avenir, pas de calme” (No future, no calm). “Diplômés aujourd’hui, précaires demain” (Graduates today, insecure tomorrow). “Vous détruisez notre futur, on bloque votre présent” (You destroy our future, we block your present).
Police used tear gas and water cannons against demonstrators who tore down the barriers surrounding the Education Ministry.
On Wednesday, student protests against the Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama entered a second day of violence, with riots and Molotov cocktails thrown at the Education Ministry.
Police used tear gas and water cannons against around 1,000 demonstrators who tore down the barriers surrounding the ministry building, according to footage broadcast live by local television station A2.
The demonstrators responded with stones and fireworks and set fire to a guard post, while police made several arrests. Dozens of hooded young people also smashed the windows of a bank in downtown Tirana and tried to pry up paving stones.
The unrest took place as students marched through Tirana to denounce deteriorating facilities, the cost of education, the shortage of financial aid and the lack of job opportunities after graduation. Universities in Elbasan and Shkodër suspended classes in solidarity with the protests.
On Tuesday, clashes lasted more than eight hours, resulting in 40 arrests and several injuries that required hospital treatment at the capital’s trauma hospital.
Groups of demonstrators looted financial offices and burned their furniture in the street. Hours later, that night, some protesters broke into Tirana City Hall.
Students have become the most active sector of the “Flamingos Revolution,” which began in May to protect a wetland in the south of the country from a luxury tourism project linked to Jared Kushner, son-in-law of U.S. President Donald Trump.
The mobilization has since expanded into a movement against Prime Minister Edi Rama and corruption, although the protesters also oppose the conservative opposition Democratic Party.
“I welcome the presence of Greta Thunberg — the Swedish environmental activist and international figure in the fight against climate change — who has come to support the struggle of students at Paul-Eluard High School. Saint-Denis: capital of resistance and the convergence of struggles!” he posted on X.
“Solidarity, climate and social justice, convergence of struggles!” added the La France Insoumise politician, who has visited the school in his city on several occasions since the blockades began, according to the media outlet RTL.
On Tuesday, the demonstrations in Paris drew a surprise turnout of thousands of participants, who marched from two separate gatherings, one originating at Italy Square and the other at City Hall.
Both marches converged at Port-Royal station before ending near Les Invalides, in the heart of Paris and close to numerous government ministries, as well as the National Assembly, where debate on the 2027 budget was scheduled to begin.
Mayor Bally Bagayoko’s text reads, “Kudos to the mobilized youth. They are our pride!”
Bagayoko became a political and media icon of the student protests in France after stepping between police and demonstrators. He joined the demonstrations again to denounce the “unworthy” silence of the administration of President Emmanuel Macron.
“I am here to say that enough is enough when it comes to ignoring the voices of the oppressed. I am here to say that the silence with which the government and the president of the republic are trying to manage this situation is unworthy, and that is why there must be so many of us,” he said at the start of the two marches organized in the French capital.
The mayor of Saint-Denis, the most populous and stigmatized city in the Paris suburbs, said the students had his full support and that he would stand with them on the fifth day of strikes and demonstrations to “shout” that “the state must respond.”
“In particular, the president of the republic must respond, but so must the minister of higher education and the minister of national education,” said the mayor, a member of the left-wing party led by Jean-Luc Melenchon.
Asked about the prominence he has gained, including internationally, after images of him stepping between students and police on Oct. 6 went viral, Bagayoko said the “responsibility” he feels is that of a “citizen,” a “father” and an “activist.”
“It is the responsibility of an activist, and that is why I am here, precisely to apply pressure and ensure that people get answers,” the mayor said.
#France — Saint-Denis mayor Bally Bagayoko protects high school students from police violence.
Bally Bagayoko became mayor of Saint-Denis in March 2026 after winning 50.77% of the vote in the first round of municipal elections on March 15. He was formally elected by the municipal council on March 21, succeeding Socialist Mayor Mathieu Hanotin.
His victory was a significant breakthrough for LFI, giving the party control of one of the largest cities in the Paris region and strengthening its position ahead of France’s 2027 presidential election.
Bagayoko’s election also marked a milestone in the political representation of residents with immigrant backgrounds in French urban politics.
Born in Levallois-Perret in 1973 to a family of Malian origin, Bagayoko moved to Saint-Denis when he was 2 years old and grew up in a working-class housing estate.
A father of four, he studied urban and suburban studies and geopolitics and began working as a manager at Paris’ public transport operator, RATP, in 2000.
He also developed a longstanding involvement in local sports and community life, playing semiprofessional basketball and coaching a local club. His political career began in 2001, when he joined the team of Communist Mayor Patrick Braouezec.
📢 Près de 480 000 personnes ont manifesté mardi à travers la France pour réclamer davantage de moyens pour l’éducation, selon les syndicats
🚨 Des tensions avec les forces de l’ordre et des blocages d’établissements ont été signalés dans plusieurs villes, notamment à Paris et… pic.twitter.com/vyJ74p5bB0
The text reads, “According to unions, nearly 480,000 people demonstrated across France on Tuesday to demand more resources for education. Tensions with law enforcement and blockades of schools were reported in several cities, particularly in Paris and Lyon. The CGT has called for a new national day of strikes and protests on November 5, amidst persistent social tensions.”
He subsequently served as a deputy mayor responsible for communications, youth, sports and employment initiatives, as well as vice president of the Seine-Saint-Denis departmental council.
After an unsuccessful mayoral bid in 2020, when he finished third with around 18% of the vote, he returned to win the 2026 election.
As mayor, Bagayoko has positioned himself as a voice for working-class communities and the diverse population of Seine-Saint-Denis, a department north of Paris that faces persistent socioeconomic inequalities and ongoing debates over policing, public services and discrimination.
His political priorities include tackling exclusion, strengthening investment in disadvantaged neighborhoods and changing approaches to public security while maintaining a response to crime.
His election has also made him a prominent figure in France’s broader debate over racism and representation. After being targeted by racist insults and online abuse, he called for stronger action against discrimination.
teleSUR/ JF
Sources: EFE – Le Monde – Commune Nouvelle de Saint Denis
Demonstrations entered their fifth consecutive day, with about 200 high schools remaining blockaded.
On Tuesday morning, Greta Thunberg visited the Paul-Eluard High School in Saint-Denis, one of the main centers of student protests in France, before joining demonstrations scheduled for that afternoon in Paris.
The 23-year-old Swedish climate activist arrived at the school on the outskirts of Paris, where she said she was “extremely proud of French students” who are mobilizing “for their future” and refusing to give up in the face of a society that neglects them.
“Here we can see it: Schools are not receiving the investment they need. This sends young people the message that they are not a priority in their society. And what are we supposed to do? Give up? Of course not. And that is precisely what people here are doing. We are going to fight for our future.”
For the Swedish activist, the mobilization of young people “is a great source of inspiration,” “but it was also something to be expected.”
Swedish activist Greta Thunberg has joined French students protesting on the outskirts of Paris about staff shortages and dilapidated schools.
In the capital, high school students are blockading streets as they demand concrete measures to improve conditions.
“When young people are placed in conditions that are incompatible with basic human rights because there is not enough investment in education, it is obvious that they are going to rebel,” Thunberg said. She added that politicians live “in a completely different reality” from that of younger generations.
Thunberg denounced what she described as the French police’s “extreme violence” against students demonstrating to demand “the absolute bare minimum.” “This says everything about the police and whom they really protect. Law enforcement is supposed to protect young people,” she insisted.
“We are glad that as many people as possible are joining us. This is not about labels or any particular person, but about how many people join the movement,” said Marius Mesnil, co-secretary of the Union Syndicale des Lyceens (USL), an organization that brings together high school students.
Les cortèges de lycéens et étudiants se regroupent place de l'Hôtel de Ville à Paris pic.twitter.com/hPgzZeSKa7
The text reads, “Columns of high school and university students are gathering in the square in front of Paris City Hall.”
In Paris, the main demonstration is scheduled to begin at 2 p.m. local time at Italy Square and end at Place des Invalides, near Matignon, where the government headquarters and the Education Ministry are located.
On Tuesday, French students took to the streets for the fifth consecutive day of demonstrations. The protests come as about 200 high schools remain blockaded, according to Education Minister Edouard Geffray.
The student union has called on students to join the protest under the slogan “They don’t listen to us, so we’ll go to them.” Dubbed “Act V,” the demonstration follows four previous days of protests held on Sept. 29 and Oct. 1, 6 and 8.
Oxford University has told staff not to use common phrases such as "learn the ropes" or "find your feet" over fears they confuse foreign students, sparking concern at the new scheme of language policing.
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