YOU LOSE ONE, YOU LOSE THEM ALL - UAE STUDENTS

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ABU DHABI 001055

SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR NEA/PPD; NEA/PI; NEA/ARP; NEA/FO; ECA;
IIP/G/NESA; CA/EX; CA/VO; CA/PPD

REF: 03 ABU DHABI 04315; 03 ABU DHABI 04408; 03 ABU DHABI
04792; 03 ABU DHABI 04845; 03 ABU DHABI 05031

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KPAO CVIS CMGT PREL TC
SUBJECT: YOU LOSE ONE, YOU LOSE THEM ALL - UAE STUDENTS
CONTINUE TO AVOID THE US DUE TO VISA AND BORDER PROCEDURES.


SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED


1. (U) SUMMARY: AS PART OF THE MISSION'S OUTREACH EFFORTS,
PAO, CONOFF AND PAO CULTURAL SPECIALIST VISITED THE TRAINING
AND SCHOLARSHIPS DEPARTMENT OF THE ABU DHABI INVESTMENT
AUTHORITY (ADIA),WHICH MANAGES ABU DHABI'S LARGE OVERSEAS
INVESTMENT PORTFOLIO AND IS THE LARGEST SCHOLARSHIP PROVIDER
FOR UAE CITIZENS. EMBASSY STAFF DISCUSSED IMPROVEMENTS IN US
VISA AND BORDER PROCESSING AND OFFERED ASSISTANCE TO
PROSPECTIVE STUDENTS AND THEIR PARENTS. OUR ADIA
INTERLOCUTORS POINTED OUT THAT SCHOLARSHIPS TO THE US ARE
HEADED FOR ANOTHER HISTORIC LOW. THEY BLAME MISPERCEPTIONS
AND DIFFICULTIES WITH VISA AND BORDER POLICIES THAT THEY SAY
DISSUADE UAE STUDENTS FROM CHOOSING THE US DESPITE RECENT
IMPROVEMENTS TO US VISA AND BORDER POLICIES. END SUMMARY.

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CONTINUING OUTREACH AND DIALOGUE
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2. (U) ON TUESDAY, MARCH 30, 2004, PAO, CONOFF, AND PAO
CULTURAL SPECIALIST MET THE LEADERSHIP OF ADIA'S TRAINING AND
SCHOLARSHIPS DEPARTMENT. REPRESENTATIVES PRESENT AT THE
MEETING INCLUDED AHMED SHABEEB AL DHAHERI, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
AND UAE FEDERAL NATIONAL COUNCIL MEMBER, DR. AHMAD BADR,
ASSISTANT MANAGER AND AN AMERICAN CITIZEN, AND DR. ABDELKADER
ZEROUGUI, ACADEMIC ADVISOR FOR THE US AND WHO SPENT OVER 20
YEARS STUDYING AND WORKING IN THE US. ADIA AWARDED
APPROXIMATELY 150 FULL-RIDE SCHOLARSHIPS IN 2003 TO UAE
CITIZENS FROM ALL EMIRATES.


3. (U) CONOFF EXPLAINED IMPROVEMENTS IN VISA AND BORDER
PROCESSING, INCLUDING REVISIONS TO THE NATIONAL SECURITY
ENTRY/EXIT REGISTRATION SYSTEM (NSEERS),BIOMETRIC COLLECTIONS
FOR US VISA APPLICANTS, AND THE START OF THE US-VISIT PROGRAM.
PAO REITERATED THE USG'S COMMITMENT TO OPEN AND SECURE BORDERS
AND RECOMMENDED THAT SCHOLARSHIP OFFICERS, STUDENTS, AND
PARENTS CONTACT PAO OR CONSULAR STAFFS WITH QUESTIONS ON VISA
AND BORDER PROCEDURES AND STUDYING IN THE US.

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BATTLING MISPERCEPTIONS AND DELAYS
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4. (SBU) DR. BADR REPLIED THAT STUDENT APPLICATIONS TO THE US
CONTINUE TO FALL. THIS YEAR, ADIA AWARDED ONLY 12
SCHOLARSHIPS TO THE US WITH POSSIBLY 28 ADDITIONAL
SCHOLARSHIPS TO THE US AFTER FINAL GRADES ARE AWARDED IN JUNE.
BEFORE SEPTEMBER 11TH, ADIA FUNDED APPROXIMATELY 1300 STUDENTS
IN THE US. THE TOTAL IS NOW 350, WITH ABOUT 100 GRADUATING
THIS YEAR AND ONLY 40 REPLACING THEM.


5. (U) COMMENT: OVERALL, ADIA WILL ONLY AWARD 150
SCHOLARSHIPS THIS YEAR FOR ALL COUNTRIES, A SIGNIFICANT
DECREASE FROM PREVIOUS YEARS. THIS IS MOST LIKELY DUE TO
SEVERAL FACTORS: (1) SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS TO THE UAE'S
SYSTEM OF HIGHER EDUCATION; (2) AN INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF
AMERICAN AND WESTERN UNIVERSITIES OPENING SATELLITE FACILITIES
IN THE FREE ZONES, SUCH AS AT DUBAI'S KNOWLEDGE VILLAGE; (3)
AN INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF SCHOLARSHIPS PROVIDED BY OTHER
GOVERNMENT ENTITIES AND NATIONAL CORPORATIONS; AND (4) A
REDUCTION IN ADIA'S GENERAL INVESTMENT INCOME SINCE 2001. END
COMMENT.


6. (SBU) DR. BADR DISAGREED WITH IMPROVEMENTS TO THE VISA
PROCESS, AS MOST ADIA STUDENTS WAIT LONGER THAN TWO MONTHS.
IN SOME CASES, ADIA STUDENTS WAITED 8 AND 9 MONTHS, WHICH
DISCOURAGED FAMILY MEMBERS AND FRIENDS AS WELL. DR. BADR
ASSERTED THAT STUDENTS SHOULD BE REFUSED RATHER WAIT. THIS IS
PROBABLY BETTER FOR THE US AS WELL, HE ADDED, AS AT LEAST THE
STUDENT'S ANGER AT BEING DENIED WOULD NOT SPREAD TO FRIENDS
AND FAMILY MEMBERS, WHO ALSO PUT THEIR LIVES ON HOLD WHILE THE
STUDENT WAITS.


7. (SBU) AS A RESULT, DR. ZEROUGUI EXPLAINED THAT PARENTS DO
NOT WANT TO WAIT TO SEND THEIR CHILDREN TO THE US IF STUDENTS
RECEIVE VISAS TO THE UK, CANADA, OR AUSTRALIA IN A WEEK. THIS
APPLIES ESPECIALLY TO THE PUBLIC SCHOOL STUDENTS, WHO AWAIT
THEIR FINAL GRADES IN JUNE. THEY SIMPLY DO NOT HAVE TIME TO
WAIT FOR A VISA LIKE THEIR COUNTERPARTS IN PRIVATE SCHOOLS,
WHO STUDY ENGLISH FULL TIME, TAKE THE SAT IN THE WINTER OR
SPRING, AND START THE APPLICATION AND VISA PROCESSES EARLIER.


8. (SBU) DR. BADR ALSO DESCRIBED THE PROBLEMS FACING CURRENT
STUDENTS IN THE US. HE EXPLAINED THAT MANY UAE STUDENTS BEGIN
IN AN ENGLISH PROGRAM OR COMMUNITY COLLEGE PRIOR TO JOINING A
UNIVERSITY OR COLLEGE. MANY ARE SCARED THAT THEY WILL NOT GET
A NEW VISA OR BE ALLOWED TO RETURN. THUS, THESE STUDENTS ARE
ALSO CHOOSING TO APPLY TO OTHER COUNTRIES TO AVOID PROBLEMS.


9. (SBU) MR. AL DHAHERI STATED THAT STUDENTS' TREATMENT AT
PORTS-OF-ENTRY (POES) AND NSEERS PROCEDURES ARE STILL THE MOST
DIFFICULT CHALLENGES. FEW UNDERSTAND NSEERS REQUIREMENTS,
WHICH ARE NOT APPLIED CONSISTENTLY AT POES. THE INTRODUCTION
OF THE US-VISIT PROGRAM WORSENED THIS PROBLEM, AS MANY BELIEVE
THAT IT REPLACED NSEERS. UAE STUDENTS ARE STILL DETAINED ON
ARRIVAL, QUESTIONED, THEIR VISAS ARE CANCELLED, AND THEY ARE
RETURNED TO THE UAE. HE NOTED FRANKLY "IF YOU LOSE ONE
STUDENT, YOU LOSE THEM ALL - FATHERS, MOTHERS, SISTERS,
BROTHERS, COUSINS, FAMILY MEMBERS AND FRIENDS - YOU LOSE THEM
ALL." INDEED, HIS COMMENTS MIRRORED THE LARGE "CANCELLED
STUDENTS - USA" FILES IN THE ADIA LIBRARY VERSUS THE LEAN
"CURRENT STUDENTS - USA" FILE NEXT TO IT.

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NOT GETTING CREDIT FOR SEVERAL IMPROVEMENTS
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10. (U) CONOFF REPLIED THAT NSEERS VIOLATORS COULD RE-APPLY
FOR A VISA. IN FACT, THE EMBASSY IN ABU DHABI HAS RECEIVED
VISA APPLICATIONS FROM 5 NSEERS VIOLATORS. ALL WERE APPROVED
FOR A NEW VISA, AS STUDENTS SIMPLY MISUNDERSTOOD THE NSEERS
PROCEDURES. PAO REMARKED THAT THE PAO AND CONSULAR STAFFS ARE
WILLING TO EXPLAIN THE PROCESSES TO ANYONE. IF DESIRED, PAO
STAFF WILL FACILITATE DIGITAL VIDEO CONFERENCES BETWEEN CA,
DHS, EDUCATORS, AND UAE STUDENTS IN THE US TO EASE CONCERNS,
AS WAS DONE RECENTLY AT ZAYED UNIVERSITY IN ABU DHABI.


11. (U) COMMENT: THE NUMBER OF UAE STUDENTS GOING TO THE US
IS STILL A DECLINING TREND. IN ABU DHABI, 70 UAE STUDENTS
WERE ISSUED VISAS FOR THE SPRING 2004 SEMESTER, AND SO FAR, 12
UAE STUDENTS WERE ISSUED VISAS FOR FALL 2004. THIS IS A
COMMON TREND IN THE REGION. THE MAIN PROBLEM, THESE AND OTHER
SCHOLARSHIP OFFICERS CLAIM (SEE REFTELS),IS THAT BAD RUMORS
HOLD AND SPREAD FASTER THAN GOOD PRESS AND EXPERIENCE. A FEW
CASES OF A LENGTHY VISA DELAY OR RUDE TREATMENT AT A US POE
HAVE COME TO BE SEEN AS UNIVERSAL TRUTH EVEN IF PROCESSING
TIME IS REDUCED AND ONLY 5 UAE NATIONALS HAVE APPLIED FOR A
NEW NONIMMIGRANT VISA DUE TO AN NSEERS VIOLATION.


12. (SBU) THERE IS ALSO HOPE FOR THE FUTURE. DR. BADR, MR. AL
DHAHERI AND DR. ZEROUGUI ALL NOTED THAT "99.9 PERCENT" OF UAE
STUDENTS AND PARENTS INITIALLY CHOOSE THE US BEFORE ANY OTHER
COUNTRY." THIS SENTIMENT MIRRORS THE PUBLIC COMMENTARY OF
RULING FAMILY MEMBERS IN BOTH ABU DHABI AND DUBAI,
PARTICULARLY THAT OF SHEIKH NAHYAN BIN MUBARAK AL NAHYAN, THE
POPULAR MINISTER OF HIGHER EDUCATION, WHO SENDS HIS SONS TO
THE US FOR THEIR EDUCATION. TO BUILD UPON THIS COMMENTARY AND
ENCOURAGE MORE STUDENTS TO CHOOSE THE US, WE ARE CONTINUING
OUR OUTREACH TO INFORM PROSPECTIVE STUDENTS, PARENTS, AND
GOVERNMENT AND SCHOLARSHIP OFFICIALS OF CHANGES IN VISA AND
BORDER PROCEDURES AND DISPEL RUMORS. END COMMENT.

WAHBA