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London Met banned from issuing visas to foreign students
More than 2,000 international students are facing deportation after London Metropolitan University was banned from teaching foreign students amid fears many are using the courses simply to get a British visa.
More than 2,000 international students have been left in limbo after a university was stripped of its right to admit foreigners following an investigation that exposed "serious systemic failures".
It found a quarter of overseas students sampled at London Metropolitan University did not have permission to stay in the country while a "significant proportion" did not have a good standard of English, and that in more than half of cases, there was no proof they were turning up to lectures.
The university had its Highly Trusted Status (HTS) for sponsoring international students revoked and will no longer be allowed to authorise visas, following the probe by the UK Border Agency.
More than 2,000 could now face being deported within 60 days unless they find a place on another course that is recognised by the Government.
Universities minister David Willetts has set up a task force to help "genuine students who are affected through no fault of their own" with advice and help including finding other institutions where they can complete their studies.
The decison to remove HTS was condemned as "disgusting" by the National Union of Students, which accused the Government of using international students as "a political football" and suggested it could "endanger the continuation of higher education as a successful export industry".
Keith Vaz, chairman of the Home Affairs Select Committee, said the move could harm Britain's world reputation as a prime destination for higher education, saying the move had left "thousands of students in limbo" at the "worst possible time" at the start of the academic year.
But immigration minister Damian Green defended the "sensible measures" to enforce rules that were designed to prevent foreigners abusing study visas by simply using them so they could come to Britain for work.
He said the move would not be replicated at other institutions and that in other cases where the UKBA had warned of failings, action had quickly been taken to resolve them.
Mr Green said the university had proved to be a "very, very deficient" sponsor because of the alleged breaches over right ti stay, proficiency in English, and attendance/
"Any one of those breaches would be serious," he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme. "We found all three of those breaches at London Metropolitan.
"What we found here is a serious systemic failure where it appears that the university doesn't have the capacity to be a proper sponsor and to have confidence that the students coming have the right to be here in the first place.
London Metropolitan University's HTS status was suspended last month while it was examined. The university announced on its website last night that it had been revoked with "hugely significant and far-reaching" implications.
A UKBA spokesman said: "London Metropolitan University's licence to sponsor non-EU students has been revoked after it failed to address serious and systemic failings that were identified by the UK Border Agency six months ago.
"We have been working with them since then, but the latest audit revealed problems with 61% of files randomly sampled. Allowing London Metropolitan University to continue to sponsor and teach international students was not an option."
Professor Eric Thomas, president of Universities UK, said there were other ways to address UKBA's concerns and the university's licence should only have been revoked as a last resort.
He said: "The UKBA's decision to revoke London Metropolitan University's licence will cause anxiety and distress to those many legitimate international students currently studying at London Metropolitan, and their families."
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I checked on the London Met's website and they highlighted the issue. However, the last update was on August 29:
The University regrets to announce that as at 8pm on Wednesday 29th August 2012, the UK Border Agency (UKBA) has revoked its Highly Trusted Status for sponsoring international students. Please see the earlier press statements on this page (below) for the context of this decision.
The implications of the revocation are hugely significant and far-reaching, and the University has already started to deal with these. It will be working very closely with the UKBA, HEFCE, the National Union of Students and its own Students' Union.
This does not affect UK and EU students.
Our ABSOLUTE PRIORITY is to our students, both current and prospective, and the University will meet all its obligations to them.
The University has set up a Help Centre to support and advise students. The number is
A fuller announcement will be made on Thursday 30th August 2012.
Malcolm Gillies
Vice-Chancellor
Wednesday 29 August, 2012
The implications of the revocation are hugely significant and far-reaching, and the University has already started to deal with these. It will be working very closely with the UKBA, HEFCE, the National Union of Students and its own Students' Union.
This does not affect UK and EU students.
Our ABSOLUTE PRIORITY is to our students, both current and prospective, and the University will meet all its obligations to them.
The University has set up a Help Centre to support and advise students. The number is
A fuller announcement will be made on Thursday 30th August 2012.
Malcolm Gillies
Vice-Chancellor
Wednesday 29 August, 2012
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I also searched videos about this:
There are three articles in Indonesia about this: from BBC Indonesia, DIKTI website (though these two are just the translation from Telegraph) and sort of a news portal called Hidayatullah (this one is a proper article).
So, it's like a chaos inside me. At first, I really didn't know what to do--well, I still do until now. I thought maybe it's best not to panic and wait London Met to encounter this problem and they will have a good news at the end. But it turns out to be a really serious problem. Kepi told me that I have to find another university. She said that there is no chance to go to London Met anymore.
I don't know, I feel like disappointed and relieved at the same time. Disappointed, of course. I was over the moon when I said that I successfully enrolled at London Met. I told my parents (and then they told it to relatives), sisters, friends, Refa and his parents. This is not only London Met's failure, I feel like it is also my failure. I don't know how to tell my family about this, especially my Dad.
Relieved, because yeah this happens when I still here in Indonesia. I'm not a current student who will be deported in 60 days. If I were, surely I would be pissed about this. It's like the UK kicked you out in the ass. And I would not leave from a country I used to love--in disgrace. Also, you know, it's been ages since I wanted to finish my personal statement for the scholarship. And it has not been finished until now. This makes me think that "well maybe this isn't the best for me, I should have known that if something is always difficult to do, maybe it is a wrong way."--yeah, despite of my great procrastination to do it.
So, that's the news, guys.
See you next time.
Cheers! Chin up!
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