Lawyers raise alarm over rise in arrest, deportation of foreign teachers in China

Lawyers in China have raised an alarm over the surge of arrests, detention and deportation of foreign teachers in China.

Reports say arrest and deportations of foreign teachers in China have soared this year amid a broad crackdown defined by new police tactics and Beijing’s push for a “cleaner”, more patriotic education system.

Four law firms in China told Reuters that requests for representation involving foreign teachers had surged in the past six months by between four and tenfold.

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Also, Switzerland-based Education First (EF), which runs 300 schools across 50 Chinese cities, has seen a “significant” increase in detentions in China for alleged offences including drugs, fighting and cybersecurity violations according to a June 27 internal notice sent to employees and seen by Reuters.

It said EF staff had been “picked up by police at their home and work as well as in bars and nightclubs and have been questioned and brought in for drug testing”. The notice said the school had also received warnings from embassies about the rise in arrests.

A spokeswoman for EF declined to comment on the content of the notices but said the company “values our close collaboration with the Chinese authorities,” adding that it “regularly reminds staff of important regulatory and compliance policies.”

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