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Thursday, April 21, 2011
UK
British Prime Minister David Cameron declared, “…we’re now getting to grips with it” in his immigration speech in Hampshire on 14 April. A crackdown on the widespread abuse was promised with a particular focus on bogus students and dodgy colleges.
The Prime Minister talked about abuse of the student route which he cited as the most popular of all non-EU immigration into the UK. “Immigration by students has almost trebled in the past decade. Last year, some 303,000 visas were issued overseas for study in the UK. But this isn’t the end of the story. Because a lot of those students bring people with them to this country: husbands, wives, children…we know that some of these student applications are bogus, and in turn their dependents are bogus. Consider this: a sample of 231 visa applications for the dependents of students found that only twenty-five percent of them were genuine dependents. The whole system [is] out of control and we’re now getting to grips with it. That badly needs to be done”, he said.
UK educational providers that sell places on fake courses in order to secure entry clearance – so called bogus colleges – are firmly in the Government’s sights. Cameron went on to say, “We’re making sure that anyone studying a degree-level course has a proper grasp of the English language. We’re saying that only postgraduate students can bring dependents. And we’re making sure that if people come over here to study, they should be studying rather than working, and that when they’ve finished their studies, they go home unless they are offered a graduate-level skilled job, with a minimum salary.”
The problem of bogus colleges and fraud in the immigration system has grown in recent years. Concerns are echoed by the slow uptake of the UK Border Agency’s Highly Trusted Sponsor licence. In January 2011, only 131 of 744 listed colleges had been awarded Highly Trusted Sponsor status. However, figures released by the British Government show that since January 2011, those non-Highly Trusted Sponsors have sponsored a total of 280,000 students. “The potential for abuse is clearly enormous,” Cameron said.
Cameron cited many examples in his speech of supposed students found to be doing everything but studying: students found working 280 miles from their sponsor, students working in 20 different locations and severe under-staffing in some institutions: 2 lecturers for 940 students, for example.
There is no doubt that following the scrapping of Tier 1 Post-Study visa of the UK Points Based System student numbers are down. Many UK business schools have reported enrolments down compared to this time last year. The Association of MBAs contacted its 47 member education providers in the UK and discovered shocking concerns. Over 90% of members were against scrapping the post-study route, citing fears of damage to competitiveness, reputation and finances, not only of the schools themselves, but also the wider economy.
MBA degrees are targeted primarily at mature students who already have a wealth of business experience behind them. Many are taking the next steps in advancing their careers, often spending between £30,000 and £50,000 on tuition alone. According to a recent survey by the Association of MBAs, 51% of students are self-funded, 32% receive company sponsorships, 10% use bank loans and none receive government assistance.
Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Richard Bruton, has launched a new trusted agents programme to promote Irish higher-level education in India.
This programme is aimed at increasing Ireland’s share of the more than 100,000 Indian students who travel overseas for education each year.
Another UK University Proposes Cuts – Are They Justified?
Published on April 21, 2011 in University. 0 CommentsTags: cuts in university funding, cuts to university funding, education spending cuts, higher education cuts, university budgets, university cuts, university cuts uk, university funding cuts, university job cuts, university places cut, university spending cuts.
Modern languages look set to be ravaged at the University of Glasgow, with seven courses likely to be scrapped. Polish, Czech, Russian, German, Italian, Portuguese and Catalan are likely to go, leaving just French and Spanish.
As we’ve heard before, cuts such as these are justified as necessary, strategic, important. Across the UK, the story is the same. Cuts to university funding, changes to how research output is assessed and the impact of the global economic meltdown on their budgets, see universities finances squeezed. The University of Glasgow is no exception, with some £35m shortfall in funding over the next three years. Traditionally, universities have been able to bridge their finances with money from international students but with the Coalition’s focus on reducing net migration, cuts this time are argued as required.
Leading Scottish University’s Sponsor Licence Suspended
Published on April 21, 2011 in University. 3 CommentsTags: highly trusted sponsors, home office, license suspended, suspended colleges from tier 4, uk points based system, ukba.
A leading Scottish university has had their licence to sponsor student migrants suspended amid claims of breaches of immigration rules.
Some nursing students at Glasgow Caledonian University have been accused of working full time leading to their sponsor’s licence suspension, the first time such a step has been taken against a university.
Calling the action “disproportionate” a University spokeswoman added that international students voted the University as “top in Scotland for international student support”.
The situation arose following UK Border Agency suspicions that several nursing students from the Philippines were either working full time in care homes or only being at university for one or two hours per month. The Glasgow Caledonian University nursing degree requires 15 hours per week contact time.
The action comes following a major tightening of UK immigration policy by the Home Office set against a backdrop of wide-spread abuse.
Phil Taylor, a UK Border Agency Regional Director said, “I can confirm that Glasgow Caledonian University’s Tier 4 licence has been suspended following concerns about abuses of the immigration system.
“Highly Trusted Sponsors bringing in international students must ensure that they are attending the course for which they are enrolled and that they are complying with the requirements of the immigration rules.
“The UK Border Agency makes regular checks on sponsors, and where we find evidence that they are not fulfilling their duties, we may suspend their licence.”
All is not lost for Glasgow Caledonian University as they now have 28 days to show the Home Office that their worries have been addressed. Failure to do so however, would see the university have their licence permanently withdrawn.
A University spokeswomen said, “GCU is co-operating with the UK Border Agency to address issues specific to a group of international students on the BSC Nursing (Professional Development) and we expect to have these resolved in the near future.
“As conversations are ongoing, the UKBA has asked the university to implement a 28 day suspension of our processing of immigration paperwork, as their processes require.
“While we feel that this action is disproportionate, we are working with them to fully understand the issues and implement any changes needed as a result.
“Our duty of care to our students is our absolute priority and they have time and again recognised that by voting us top in Scotland for international student support. We are proud of that, and will ensure it remains the case as we make any changes requested of us.
“GCU operates at the highest standards and our reputation is hard earned and well known. The Quality Assurance Agency Scotland recently wrote to again express its confidence in Glasgow Caledonian University – the highest judgment it can award in its regular reviews of standards in universities and colleges across the UK.”
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