The British government has stripped a London university of its right to sponsor visas for overseas students, leaving thousands of students facing possible deportation.
London Metropolitan University had its Highly Trusted Status —
which allowed it to sponsor visas for students from outside the European
Union — revoked by the UK Border Agency on Wednesday over alleged
failings in its procedures.
The move means current overseas students have 60 days to enrol on a
course elsewhere, with more than 2,000 students facing deportation if
they fail to find another university, according to the National Union of
Students (NUS).
The union warned of “catastrophic” effects on Britain’s industry
for educating students from overseas, which was estimated last year to
be worth £14 billion (17.7 billion euros, $22.2 billion).
Almost 300,000 non-EU foreign students were enrolled in Britain in the 2010-11 academic year.
The university said on its website: “The implications of the
revocation are hugely significant and far-reaching… Our ABSOLUTE
PRIORITY is to our students, both current and prospective, and the
University will meet all its obligations to them.”
Immigration minister Damian Green told BBC radio that after an
audit lasting six months, the Border Agency found “a serious systemic
failure where it appears that the university doesn’t have the capacity
to be a proper sponsor”.
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