Academics claim new UK student visa rules are discriminatory
April 14 2009 by Bryan Palmer
A group of 35 academics are speaking out against the new UK points based immigration system and the new rules that require academic institutions to obtain accreditation and take responsibility for the foreign students they take on.
Following the arrests of 12 Pakistani terror suspects who were living in the UK on tier 4 student visas, attention has turned to the ease with which people can obtain visas to study in the UK.
The new requirements are intended to make it more difficult for people to move to the UK to ‘study’ in fake or unofficial institutions. However, many places of education and academics are opposed to the new role they have to play in the system.
The 35-strong group of academics speaking out against the new rules claim the immigration authorities are increasingly drawing them into a role of ‘policing students.’ In a letter to the Guardian newspaper, the group claims they are being asked to report non-attending students and check foreign students’ IDs.
The group says it is considering boycotting the system as a protest to these greater responsibilities. The letter reads, ‘We strongly oppose the imposition of such changes in the way that academic institutions are run. We believe these practices are discriminatory and distort academic freedoms. The implementation of UK immigration policies is not part of our contractual duties and we will play no part in practices which discriminate against students and staff.’
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