Internationalization of Higher Education and Immigration Policies: Reframing the Ethics of International Student Mobility in East Africa

The mobility of higher education students within Africa has expanded considerably in recent years, raising urgent questions about the ethics of international education. This paper critically examines the ethical dimensions of international student mobility in East Africa, with emphasis on Uganda, a major and growing regional educational regional hub. Drawing on theoretical orientations from critical internationalization studies and postcolonial ethics, the study investigates how immigration policies and higher education policies intersect to shape international students’ lived experiences. Using a mixed-methods research design, data were collected from 437 survey respondents and 16 in-depth interview participants, including students, university staff members, higher education officials, and one immigration officer. Quantitative data were analyzed with descriptive statistics using SPSS, while qualitative data underwent rigorous thematic analysis. Findings reveal that international students in Uganda, mainly originating from neighboring East African countries, face restrictive immigration regulations, particularly in relation to employment rights and opportunities for professional integration. Although regional protocols and agreements formally promote student mobility, international students in Uganda nevertheless encounter persistent administrative barriers, limited job opportunities, financial insecurities, and experiences of exclusion or marginalization. These contradictions highlight ongoing ethical tensions in how internationalization is currently conceptualized and practiced in resource-constrained contexts. The paper ultimately argues that East African countries urgently need to rethink internationalization through frameworks of hospitality and reciprocity, and mutual responsibility, ensuring that student mobility supports both educational opportunity and human dignity.