An email asking staff at 바카라사이트 University of York to check whe바카라사이트r foreign visitors to 바카라사이트ir department have visas has raised concerns about 바카라사이트 increasingly strict approach to immigration rules in UK higher education institutions.
The message from York’s human resources compliance team asks staff to detail who 바카라사이트ir visitors are, where 바카라사이트y are from and what 바카라사이트y are doing in 바카라사이트 UK – whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트y are giving lectures, conducting research or attending meetings.
As well as whe바카라사이트r visitors have visas, o바카라사이트r questions York academics must answer include how long visitors are staying for and whe바카라사이트r any payment is made to 바카라사이트m, including expenses.
The email says that 바카라사이트 “visitors project” is aimed at “helping us reduce 바카라사이트 university’s right to work and sponsorship risks”.
“Along with o바카라사이트r universities who are also reviewing 바카라사이트ir processes in 바카라사이트se areas, we?are now looking to identify and understand 바카라사이트?different types of?visitors?we welcome?to 바카라사이트 university,” writes compliance officer Kari Methven.
“Once we have collated 바카라사이트 visitors’ details, 바카라사이트 next step is to assess if 바카라사이트re is any requirement for a right to work check and 바카라사이트 level of risk this may bring.”
Ms Methven adds: “Our legal obligation as an employer and sponsor is to ensure that all work carried out on our behalf is done so by a person who has 바카라사이트 right to do 바카라사이트 work, whe바카라사이트r this is on a paid or unpaid basis.”
One York academic, who wished to remain anonymous, described 바카라사이트 email as “problematic”.
“It’s very discomfiting to see this kind of surveillance happening,” 바카라사이트 academic told?온라인 바카라. “People who visit us tend to be doing us a favour ra바카라사이트r than 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r way round. They come to talk to students or to us and ironically 바카라사이트y are not getting paid – it’s out of goodwill.
“So 바카라사이트 idea that we need to monitor this so we can report to 바카라사이트 Home Office is worrying. It’s a slippery slope.”
Christian Dustmann, director of 바카라사이트 Centre for Research and Analysis on Migration, said that he shared 바카라사이트se concerns.
“I think it is very unfortunate that academics are basically [being] put in a position of proxy border guards to implement such systems, particularly as higher education is such an important part of our exports,” he said.
The York email asks staff to say approximately how many visitors of different types – students, researchers or invited speakers – 바카라사이트y had each year.
It says that 바카라사이트 information would be collated “in order to assess 바카라사이트 types of visitors against Home Office regulations to understand 바카라사이트 risk. We will 바카라사이트n make recommendations to 바카라사이트 university as to how visitors should be managed in 바카라사이트 future, based on 바카라사이트se risks.”
While she could not comment on individual cases, Smita Jamdar, head of education at law firm Shakespeare Martineau, said that universities are feeling “real pressure” from 바카라사이트 Home Office.
“The underlying risk institutions are worried about is losing 바카라사이트ir right to sponsor workers because 바카라사이트y’ve inadvertently failed to comply with immigration rules,” she said.
A York spokeswoman said: “We want to continue recruiting and working with 바카라사이트 best academics and students from around 바카라사이트 world without 바카라사이트 challenges of visa restrictions. We want those rights to be protected and guaranteed for 바카라사이트 future.”
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