The message to international students is short and sweet: “You are welcome here.”

Then students, faculty and staff at the University of Hawaii, hailing from countries around the globe, offer warm smiles and words of welcome in 17 languages.

The video posted on the UH website is part of the #YouAre WelcomeHere campaign underway at more than 300 colleges and universities. Started in November 2016, it has gained steam in an effort to reassure foreign students concerned about their future amid travel bans announced by President Donald Trump.

The latest restrictions, issued Sept. 24 and due to take effect Oct. 18, cover citizens of Chad, Iran, Libya, North Korea, Somalia, Syria and Yemen, as well as government officials of Venezuela.

The first two travel bans in January and March prompted widespread concern among foreign students in the United States even if their country was not on the list. Some students put off going home or other overseas travel for fear they would not be let back into the United States.

“There was general anxiety because of the confusion over the orders,” said Linda Duckworth, director of International Student Services at the University of Hawaii at Manoa. “People were unsure of how they would be affected. International students were concerned about travel regardless of their country of origin.”

The impact of the latest version of the travel restrictions on students is not yet clear. The proclamation says the countries were chosen based on their security situation and cooperation with the United States. The wording for each country differs, referring in several cases to travel being suspended for those on business and tourist visas.

The only reference to students comes in the section on Iran, where it says entry to the United States by Iranian nationals with valid student visas “is not suspended, although such individuals should be subject to enhanced screening and vetting requirements.”

The state of Hawaii, which challenged the original ban, has been directed by the U.S. Supreme Court to file additional arguments analyzing the new ban. That brief is due today.

At the UH Office of International Student Services, things have been relatively quiet since the latest ban was announced.

“Students have not expressed any anxiety to the International Student Services office with regard to the latest executive travel restrictions,” Duckworth said Friday.

Early this year, it was a different story, when rumors were flying and students were worried about what would happen to them. Students seeking advice at the office included the following:

>> An undergraduate student from the Philippines who is a permanent resident of the United States was worried about taking a class trip to Japan, for fear she might be denied re-entry to the United States.

>> An Egyptian graduate student expressed concern about whether he would be allowed to re-enter the country given his Muslim background, although Egypt was not on the list.

>> An Iranian graduate student stopped carrying an umbrella in public for fear people would think it was a weapon. He was considering relocating to another country.

The latest travel proclamation removed Sudan from the restricted list, but that came too late for one UH-Manoa student.

“Our student from Sudan had a wonderful opportunity to go this summer to a doctoral research seminar on cybersecurity in Paris,” Duckworth said. “But he decided not to go because Sudan was on the list. This is an example of how these executive orders can negatively impact research and an opportunity for UH-Manoa to shine in this field on an international stage.”

The video was commissioned by the Manoa International Education Committee and created by UH Productions.

“International students bring a great deal of value to the Manoa educational experience,” said Dennis Chase, a program coordinator at UH-Manoa’s Outreach College, who spearheaded the video project. “We are one of the most diverse universities in the country and we hope to continue to be so. Given that it’s a global economy we’re in, we think it’s a benefit to all, not just the students, but to the entire Hawaii community.”

As of Oct. 2, there were 2,465 international students enrolled in the University of Hawaii system, including 656 graduate students, according to the UH Institutional Research & Analysis Office. That was a slight drop, less than 2 percent, from the 2,510 enrolled last fall. Meanwhile, total enrollment in the university system fell by 3.3 percent.

R. Andy Sutton, dean of UH-Manoa’s School of Pacific and Asian Studies, said the university is proud to be part of the “YouAreWelcomeHere” movement.

“UH-Manoa has always been a campus that welcomes students from abroad,” said Sutton, who is also assistant vice chancellor for international and exchange programs. “The cultural and ethnic diversity of the university and the state of Hawaii represents great strengths, particularly in the current climate of heightened tension around immigration and international relations.”

To view the video and read the travel restrictions, visit hawaii.edu/issmanoa/