Terror Students

[Jade]

The student visa loophole that lets 1.5m into the country unchecked

By James Slack



Almost 1.5million student visas have been handed out in the past eight years.

The beneficiaries included Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab - given permission by the Home Office to study mechanical engineering at University College London between 2005 and 2008.

A string of other terror suspects have used the student visa route into the UK - not always by attending so-called bogus colleges.

Ten of the 11 Pakistani nationals seized on suspicion of plotting an atrocity in the North West this year had student visas.

The alleged ringleader of this plot - Abid Naseer - was a computer studies student at Liverpool John Moores University. There are fears that terror groups have concluded that applying for a student visa is one of the most likely routes of entry into the UK. There are only limited checks on an applicant's security background.

The Government's points-based system instead focuses on whether students have enough cash to support themselves, and whether they have a course offer from a Home Office-accredited college or university.

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There is a tension here between free movement of young people, our universities needing the cash they bring and our pride in offering learning to the world's young

Should we change the balance? Perhaps only offer learning places to those from countries we "like"? Should we now exclude learners from Pakistan and Nigeria? Maybe just give the Unis a lot more money so they don't have to attract foreign students?

I am not making reference here to the bogus colleges - that s a national disgrace. I am only talking about "proper" universities and colleges.

[aubrey]

Not many though, is it? Especially as the ones at John Moore's were never charged due to a lack of evidence (though deported out of pique - never mind how much they'd paid for their course).

[Jade]

I didn't know about that aubrey?

[jean]

John Moores is not a bogus college (OH used to work in its quality control dept.!) and yes, I believe aubrey is right.

[pippa]

is there implication that John Moores college is bogus. from what i gather the man in question recently applied to a bogus college but had also previously studied in the UK presumably legitimately.

something wrong somewhere if the UK cannot both offer the world's students and home grown students quality education. from what i understand though that there are only so many places on courses and therefore more places are being offered to full paying overseas students. yet another shame on government for not funding enough universities and places to accomodate student accross the board.

prestigous universities and quality degrees should be available to ALL especially where overseas students often cannot get quality education.