One high-performing foreign student left Denmark on Thursday and another facing the same fate soon. Their crime? Working too much.

Marius Youbi, an international student at Aarhus University who has achieved national fame since his case hit the media last month, has returned to his native Cameroon after being kicked out of Denmark.

Marius Youbi left Denmark on Thursday. Youbi, who received top marks in all of his university exams, was told to leave the country by Friday by the Recruitment and Integration Authority (Styrelsen for International Rekruttering og Integration – STAR).

The Cameroonian was found to have spent 16 and a half hours a week in a cleaning job, taking him around an hour and a half over the limit permitted for international students. As a result, Youbi’s residence permit was revoked and he was asked to leave the country.

After the order to leave, the university agreed to move Youbi’s exams forward, leaving him faced with three tests in one day, and 48 hours to prepare. All three exams resulted in a ’12’ grade, the Danish equivalent of an A.
Early on Thursday morning, the 30-year-old Youbi left Denmark from Billund Airport with a heavy heart.

“I have built something up in Denmark. I have made many friends here and I have a family here that I am leaving. It is hard to say goodbye to so much,” he told broadcaster DR in fluent Danish.

The broadcaster’s video from the airport shows Youbi consoling his crying sister and nephew, ensuring them that he would try to return to Denmark.

Over 18,000 people signed a petition protesting Youbi’s deportation and a rally for his cause was held in Herning. The deputy chairman of the Socialist People’s Party (SF) planned to hand-deliver the petition to Immigration Minister Inger Støjberg in an appeal to get Youbi’s case reversed.

The minister, however, has already said that she cannot interfere with individual cases.

Facing the same fate as Youbi is Nepalese student Shalik Ram Bhattarai, who was told to leave the country by January 7 because he worked too many hours alongside his studies.

The 28-year-old has been in Denmark for eight years. His wife, who has lived in the country for five years, and their three-year-old son, who was born in Denmark, have also been told to leave.