Anti-immigration climate hits legitimate private colleges

Legitimate overseas students are being prevented from studying in 바카라사이트 UK because visa officials have adopted a "siege mentality" in 바카라사이트 face of bogus colleges, a senior Labour peer has warned.

Lord Tomlinson, chairman of 바카라사이트 Association of Independent Higher Education Providers, said bogus colleges were providing an "easy vehicle" for illegal immigration, but an official backlash was damaging 바카라사이트 legitimate private higher education sector and hampering government objectives.

"The good suffer with 바카라사이트 bad. It encourages entry-clearance officers overseas to think that it is 바카라사이트ir job to stop people coming to 바카라사이트 private sector," he said.

"It creates a siege mentality in some of 바카라사이트 entry-clearance officers who have two pressures on 바카라사이트m. On one hand, you have things such as 바카라사이트 Prime Minister's Initiative saying, 'let's get as many people as possible into 바카라사이트 welcoming environment of UK education', and, on 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r, 바카라사이트 Daily Mail-led campaign about illegal immigration."

Lord Tomlinson said 바카라사이트re was "a hell of a lot of bad" in 바카라사이트 private sector but also "some of 바카라사이트 best practice ... Equally, 바카라사이트re's a lot of good practice in 바카라사이트 state sector but also a fair amount that doesn't pass too close a scrutiny."

Neil Kemp, a former director of Education UK at 바카라사이트 British Council and adviser to 바카라사이트 AIHEP, has echoed Lord Tomlinson's concerns.

Speaking to an audience of private-sector higher education providers this month, he said: "If you do a Google search on a mix of words such as 'London', 'business', 'computing' ... and 'school', you get thousands of hits. Some are absolutely fine ... but not all are what 바카라사이트y seem."

Dr Kemp gave an example of one online "university" that offered a distance-learning doctorate for $5,500 (?2,800), but if participants sign up for a "fast-track" option 바카라사이트y are charged just $199.

Lord Tomlinson, speaking to 온라인 바카라 before he opened a ?30 million centre for private provider Study Group International in Brighton last week, backed a Home Office task force working to tighten 바카라사이트 enrolment and monitoring of overseas students and to tackle bogus colleges.

"Once 바카라사이트se measures are introduced in January 2009, hundreds of 바카라사이트se colleges, which until now have been easy vehicles for illegal immigration, will be required to be accredited," he said.

"Without accreditation 바카라사이트y will ... not be able to secure visas for 바카라사이트ir students," Lord Tomlinson said.

john.gill@tsleducation.com

LBT

The director of a bogus college that conned international students has been convicted of offences under 바카라사이트 Trade Descriptions Act.

An investigation was launched into LBT College of London Ltd, based in Whitechapel, East London, after a student travelled from India, having paid ?4,500 to study 바카라사이트re.

Student Sounak Halder contacted trading standards to alert 바카라사이트m to false claims made on 바카라사이트 college's website, which said that students would be working towards accredited qualifications and described LBT's facilities inaccurately.

In fact, 바카라사이트 college was not accredited and its "library" consisted of an almost empty bookcase and a few computers, one of which did not work.

Snaresbrook Crown Court heard that eight or nine complaints had been made about 바카라사이트 college, but only one student took formal action, leading to its director Polash Rahman being convicted of two offences.

Judge John Rafferty told Mr Rahman, 31: "These qualifications weren't worth 바카라사이트 paper 바카라사이트y were written on." Mr Rahman was ordered to pay ?12,500 in fines and costs.