Hundreds of Indian students face deportation from UK

London Metropolitan Univ’s Licence Revoked For Visa Abuse

Ashis Ray TNN 

London: Hundreds of Indian students face deportation from UK after the British government on Thursday revoked London Metropolitan University’s (LMU) licence to teach and admit anybody from outside the European Union. The Indian High Commission on Thursday sent a diplomat to meet LMU officials to assess the situation while MP Keith Vaz sought quick clarification from its authorities. 
    More than 2,600 students from non-EU countries will be hit by the border agency’s step, and a large number of these are Indians. “We will support efforts to ensure those meeting current visa requirements can identify alternative places to study,” the British home office told TOI. Such students would have 60 days to find an alternative institution to absorb them or return home. 
    On Wednesday, the UK border agency said LMU, which has around 30,000 students, had “failed to address serious and systemic failings” identified six months ago. A statement on the LMU website said the implications of the revocation are “hugely significant and far-reaching”. It added, “Our absolute priority is to our students, both current and prospective, and the university will meet all its obligations to them.” 
    A survey by the border agency revealed that over 26% of students there do not have valid visas to remain in Britain. Indians falling in this category are, therefore, likely to be asked to go back to India. In 40% of cases, adequate tests to determine competence in English wasn’t carried out, something that all UK universities are obliged to do. 
    “For the sake of this university and others, especially at this time of year, I hope the minister will urgently clarify the situation,” wrote Vaz, chairman of the home affairs select committee, to UK immigration minister Damian Green on Thursday. 
    Trouble is a number of less distinguished universities are struggling with their finances even after a threefold increase in tuition fee for domestic students. 
    Some of them are, consequently, attempting to balance their books with an indiscriminate intake and retention of foreign students, whether they are entitled to be so treated or not. 
    The UK’s National Union of Students contacted Prime Minister David Cameron to “express anger at the way decisions have been made in recent weeks and to reiterate the potentially catastrophic effects on higher education as a £12.5bn per year export industry for the UK”. 
    “The decision will create panic for students not just at London Met but also all around the country,” said union president Liam Burns, adding that the decision could have been limited to future students rather than existing ones.

BIG BLOW: Over 2,600 students from non-EU countries will be hit.

 

Source::::: The Times of India, 31-08-2012, p.18. http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Default/Client.asp?Daily=TOIM&showST=true&login=default&pub=TOI&Enter=true&Skin=TOINEW