The effects of the temporary entry restrictions announced by the American President on Friday will not be limited to individual researchers from the seven Muslim countries, writes the European University Association (EUA). All over the world, these restrictions are hindering the free passage of students and researchers who are involved in international research and cross-border study programs.

Some academics from the seven Muslim countries are already working in the United States. They are now no longer able to consult data sources in other countries or conduct international fieldwork, nor can they attend conferences beyond US borders for fear of being banned upon re-entry. This is a problem for the entire scientific community.

TU/e has 118 scientists and 75 students from the seven countries concerned - some of whom hold dual nationality, some single. One physicist of Iranian descent refers to the online petition by which thousands of academics worldwide have voiced their objection to Trump's entry ban. “This alone shows the huge impact this measure is having.”

The PhD candidate continues: “For me, this decision means I cannot travel to the US for any conferences, nor can I take up a postdoc at an American institute or university. Despite my interest in working at some of the wonderful universities in the US, after the election I started to doubt whether now is the best time to study over there. ”

For some of his acquaintances in the US, the consequences of Trump's executive order are much greater, he is keen to stress. He relates the story of a young woman who is about to graduate from the University of California. She is due to start working for Google this coming summer but now that prospect looks uncertain. Thanks to Trump, her long-awaited reunion with her parents at her graduation ceremony also looks unlikely to happen.

“Given how hard it is to secure a job in such a great company and how much effort achieving that takes, I would say this is a heartbreaking situation,” the PhD candidate says. The scenes of chaos in the US this past weekend were also distressing, he feels. “Good people were detained at airports, well-educated individuals were deported and families were torn apart.”

The European universities are keen to see Trump retract his measures as soon as possible or otherwise amend them so that the free passage of people and knowledge is no longer jeopardized. The Netherlands and Germany have asked the American administration for further clarification.

Furthermore, as an exception to the entry ban on persons from the seven named countries, the American Department of Homeland Security announced on Saturday that persons already holding a Green Card (permanent residency) may return to the US.