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UK Student Visas ‘Exploited’, According to National Audit Office
March 27, 2012 Nicola  |
Flaws in new student visa system possibly were exploited in its first year by up to 50,000 migrants in UK.
The report by the National Audit Office claims that up to 50,000 people may have entered the UK to work rather than study.
Each student must be sponsored by a licensed college and cannot change institution without gaining permission.
This new system was introduced in 2009 but the National Audit Office stated that “key controls” had not been put in place.
However, the Home Office has said that these “tough new rules” were cutting student visa numbers, as there was no limit on the number of non-European Economic Area students from the previous system. Instead, students were free to move college and course without notifying the UK Border.
Immigration minister Damian Green said:
“This government has introduced radical reforms in order to stamp out abuse and restore order to the uncontrolled student visa system we inherited … These include tough new rules on English language, working rights and dependants to ensure only legitimate students come to the UK. New restrictions on post-study work mean that all but the very best will return home after study.”
He added: “These measures are beginning to bite, we have already seen the number of student visas issued drop considerably in the second half of 2011, compared to the same period in 2010.”
Nicola Dandridge, the chief executive of Universities UK which represents vice-chancellors, said “good progress” had been made tightening up the system, but there was evidence that legitimate students were being deterred from applying.
Ms Dandridge told the BBC: “There are some very significant dips, particularly form the Indian sub-continent, where there appears to have been a very negative message which is going out, which is that genuine students are not particularly welcome in Britain and that’s what we’re really concerned about.”
Chairman of the Migration Watch UK campaign group, Sir Andrew Green, insisted that the government should reintroduce interviews for all prospective students like America and Australia are already doing to “weed out bogus applicants before they come to Britain”.
By Kate Wilson
[Image courtesy of dannyman]
