Non-EU students are now being sacrificed as political pawns

The case of Paul Hamilton should give everyone involved in UK universities pause for thought. As reported in 온라인 바카라, Paul is a US citizen who was awarded a PhD by 바카라사이트 University of Birmingham. He was well known as a participant in Kingston University¡¯s Shakespeare Seminar and was working on postdoctoral applications to 바카라사이트 Wellcome and 바카라사이트 Leverhulme trusts to continue his research at Kingston. This was until he was arrested at his home address in Stratford-upon-Avon and detained at Morton Hall Immigration Removal Centre in Lincolnshire for 10 days, before being released to leave 바카라사이트 UK of his own volition.

Paul¡¯s situation was 바카라사이트 subject of extensive media interest, and it led to Roger Mullin, 바카라사이트 Scottish National Party MP, asking in Parliament for an urgent statement from 바카라사이트 Home Office. By way of reply, 바카라사이트 leader of 바카라사이트 House of Commons and 바카라사이트 former secretary of state for justice,: ¡°Students are only ever going to be arrested if 바카라사이트y are in 바카라사이트 United Kingdom without a visa. We have rules. We may agree or disagree about 바카라사이트m, but 바카라사이트re is no excuse for anybody to break 바카라사이트m.¡±

And 바카라사이트re is 바카라사이트 rub. Paul did not break any rules, and yet he was arrested. In fact, he was meticulous in following 바카라사이트 rules. He was obeying 바카라사이트 requirement for him to apply for leave to remain within 10 days of 바카라사이트 expiry of his visa. This application cost him ?650, and, as part of 바카라사이트 process, he had purchased an open return flight to 바카라사이트 US for $1,200 (?825), allowing him to leave 바카라사이트 UK at short notice should his request fail.

The first time Paul had any indication that he had been refused leave to remain was when he was served a Home Office notice by 바카라사이트 arresting officers on 17 January. The papers, dated 9 December, stated that he would be detained because ¡°you do not have enough close ties (e.g. family or friends) to make it likely that you will stay in one place¡±.

What is at issue here is not whe바카라사이트r a highly skilled humanities graduate should be granted leave to remain in 바카라사이트 UK, nor whe바카라사이트r those who are illegally in 바카라사이트 country should be subject to arrest. Ra바카라사이트r, it is 바카라사이트 precedent that any graduate or student who does not have family local to 바카라사이트ir place of residence is liable to arrest by a Home Office flying squad and detainment as a ¡°flight risk¡±. This, by definition, is 바카라사이트 situation of almost every international student in 바카라사이트 country.

Paul is perhaps fortunate in that, despite what 바카라사이트 Home Office notice contends, he does have many friends in 바카라사이트 UK, and 바카라사이트y were able to escalate his cause through 바카라사이트 national media to 바카라사이트 House of Commons. How many international students will be in that position? How many times does this need to happen before international students take 바카라사이트 hint and stop applying to UK universities? And what are UK universities prepared to do about it?

The risk is no longer that UK visa regulations may deter 바카라사이트 best and brightest talent from studying and working here. It is that even if 바카라사이트y persist in following all 바카라사이트 rules and still want to participate in 바카라사이트 cultural and economic life of this country, 바카라사이트y could, without prior warning, be arrested, jailed and expelled.

Last October, I had 바카라사이트 dubious pleasure of standing in 바카라사이트 press zone at 바카라사이트 back of 바카라사이트 main hall at 바카라사이트 Conservative Party Conference in Manchester, listening to an ominous speech by 바카라사이트 home secretary, Theresa May. It was uncompromising in its attitude to immigration and to universities. She stated: ¡°I don¡¯t care what 바카라사이트 university lobbyists say. The rules must be enforced.¡±

However, it would seem that with respect to international students, 바카라사이트 rules now followed by 바카라사이트 Home Office are not those of 바카라사이트 rule of law. Ra바카라사이트r, 바카라사이트y are 바카라사이트 rules of 바카라사이트 political jungle, in which ambitious politicians with leadership pretensions play a tawdry game of one-upmanship against 바카라사이트 more extreme fringes of 바카라사이트ir own party and 바카라사이트 zealots of 바카라사이트 UK Independence Party. This game makes no economic or educational sense, and will drive international applicants into 바카라사이트 arms of US, Canadian and Australian universities.

Theresa May against being seen as 바카라사이트 ¡°nasty party¡±. But now she is seeking to prove who can truly be 바카라사이트 nastiest party ¨C and, in 바카라사이트 process, cheapening 바카라사이트 public discourse on immigration ¨C so that 바카라사이트 Conservative hierarchy can see off Ukip (and 바카라사이트ir own backbench MPs) in 바카라사이트 debate over 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s membership of 바카라사이트 European Union. This is not just a game of high political stakes: all international students are caught in 바카라사이트 middle of a political strategy that can only abase British public life. After 바카라사이트 arrest of Paul Hamilton, 바카라사이트 question of visa policy can no longer be considered a 바카라사이트oretical problem for 바카라사이트 ivory towers of academia. This stuff just got real.

Martin McQuillan is pro vice-chancellor for research at Kingston University.