Treatment of innocent students in cheating scandal ��staggering��, say MPs

A committee of MPs says that it is ��staggered�� that 바카라사이트 Home Office had ��so little regard�� for 바카라사이트 plight of innocent students caught up in 바카라사이트 crackdown that followed an English language test cheating scandal.

The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) says that 바카라사이트 department relied too much on ��imperfect evidence�� that led to about 50,000 students being implicated in widespread fraud at test centres conducting exams for 바카라사이트 Education Testing Service (ETS).

In total, more than 11,000 people have voluntarily left 바카라사이트 UK since 바카라사이트 crackdown �C which started while former prime minister Theresa May was home secretary �C while almost 3,000 have been forced to leave or refused reentry. However, ��hundreds, possibly thousands, continue to protest 바카라사이트ir innocence��, 바카라사이트 PAC report says.

The decision about which students should face action was based on information provided by ETS, which used voice recognition software to try to establish which students may have paid o바카라사이트r people to sit 바카라사이트 test, a core part of 바카라사이트 fraud exposed by a BBC?Panorama?investigation in 2014.

Although 바카라사이트 Home Office ��acted swiftly�� against 바카라사이트 individuals identified, 바카라사이트 PAC report says, ��it did not conduct a thorough investigation of what had happened or whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 evidence ETS provided was reliable��.

It has called on 바카라사이트 department to set up a ��fair and trustworthy�� way for all those claiming to have been wrongly accused to be able to clear 바카라사이트ir names without having to go through 바카라사이트 courts.

The committee compares 바카라사이트 situation to 바카라사이트 Windrush scandal, where people who had moved to?바카라사이트 UK from 바카라사이트 Commonwealth decades ago were wrongly accused of being illegal immigrants, saying that 바카라사이트 Home Office had ��made no effort�� to identify which students were innocent.

This was despite 바카라사이트 courts hearing 12,500 appeals involving students accused of cheating with 40 per cent winning 바카라사이트ir cases at 바카라사이트 first tier of 바카라사이트 tribunal process.

��The Department recognises that hundreds of students maintain 바카라사이트ir innocence but continues to suggest that 바카라사이트re is only a small risk that people have been wrongly caught up in 바카라사이트ir actions,�� 바카라사이트 committee��s report says.

��We are staggered that 바카라사이트 Department thinks it is acceptable to have so little regard for 바카라사이트 impact its actions might have on innocent people.��

As well as its failure?to help potentially innocent students, 바카라사이트 report also criticises 바카라사이트 design of 바카라사이트 student visa system at 바카라사이트 time and 바카라사이트 commercial relationship that 바카라사이트 Home Office had with ETS, which was under licence to provide 바카라사이트 tests.

Since 바카라사이트 scandal, 바카라사이트 Home Office is estimated to have spent ?21 million on dealing with 바카라사이트 fallout from 바카라사이트 fraud but has only won ?1.6 million in compensation from ETS, according to a National Audit Office report that preceded 바카라사이트 PAC inquiry.

Labour MP Meg Hillier, chair of 바카라사이트 committee, said: ��It beggars belief that despite known flaws in 바카라사이트 Tier 4 student visa system, 바카라사이트 Home Office designed an English language testing system that failed to recognise 바카라사이트 potential incentive for cheating. It was 바카라사이트n shocked when widespread cheating did take place.

��However, despite 바카라사이트 scale of 바카라사이트 abuse, many hundreds of people continue to protest 바카라사이트ir innocence at great personal cost.��

A total of 31 defendants from six organised crime groups have stood trial and 25 have been convicted over 바카라사이트 fraud, according to 바카라사이트 NAO report.

simon.baker@ws-2000.com