STUDYING IN IRELAND
A number of Colleges in Ireland have been closed down in the recent weeks. These include Millennium College, Eden College, Kavanagh College, Irish Business School – all in Dublin - and Allied Irish College in Cork. The Colleges are under investigation by authorities following allegations of mismanagement and non-compliance with guidelines and regulations relating to course content, attendance and other criteria as laid down by the Irish Department of Education.
A large number of foreign students, including Indian students, have been affected following the closures raising concerns about the amounts paid by them to these Colleges, about their continued education and also their immigration status as students in Ireland.
In view of these developments, all Indian nationals proposing to study in Ireland are advised to diligently research the status of the educational institutions and the courses they wish to apply to. Indian nationals are advised to be guided by the Education in Ireland brand (www.educationinireland.com) which sets high educational, infrastructure and financial standards and which only promotes those educational institutions which meet these standards.
PHISHING TELEPHONE CALLS
It has come to the attention of the Embassy that the expatriate community in Ireland, including Indian citizens, are being targeted through phone calls, purportedly from the local Irish authorities, and being asked to give their personal details, including their passport details, on one pretext or the other.
The Embassy wishes to clarify that such calls are not official, whatever may be the entity the caller claims to represent. These calls are being made to elicit personal information from the targeted receiver in a similar manner as a ‘Phishing Expedition’ over e-Mails and internet sites. The receivers of such calls are advised not to entertain these calls and not to part with any of their personal data.
The matter is receiving the attention of the local law enforcement authorities.
SAFETY AND SECURITY OF INDIAN CITIZENS AND PROPERTY
Cases of burglaries in residences have been reported from time to time in various counties of Ireland. These include residences of persons of Asian origin, including Indian citizens.
All Indian citizens are therefore requested to take reasonable precautions to secure their residences and valuables, by installing alarm systems, keeping their valuables in lockers etc.
Similarly, there have been occasional instances of muggings reported in certain parts of Ireland, especially targeting students and professionals carrying expensive electronic gadgets such as laptops, mobiles, i-pods etc and who use public transport or travel alone after dark. .
All Indian students and professionals are advised to be aware of their surroundings at all times and take preventive measures to avoid places which could be potentially ideal for a mugging incident. Students are requested to travel around in groups or at least keep their close associates informed of their whereabouts at all times.
There is no cause for alarm and the steps advised above are precautionary in nature.
