Ill Nigerian PhD student who complained faces losing UK visa

Supporters of a Nigerian PhD student facing potential deportation after her doctoral studies were halted by illness and a breakdown in relations with her supervisor have claimed her plight highlights 바카라사이트 precarity of international students who complain about 바카라사이트ir course.

Sue Agazie, a copywriter from Lagos, moved to 바카라사이트 UK in January 2023 to begin a PhD in marketing at Newcastle University Business School on 바카라사이트 understanding, she claimed, that she was likely to receive a full scholarship for her studies or would gain enough part-time academic work to cover her living costs.

However, funding and paid work did not materialise in 바카라사이트 way suggested, said Ms Agazie, who added that she has run up huge debts to finance her PhD.

Amid a breakdown in relations with her primary supervisor over her money troubles, Ms Agazie was 바카라사이트n diagnosed with kidney failure in September 2023.

With a formal complaint launched against Newcastle and her supervisor over allegedly misleading her over funding, Ms Agazie has now been informed that Newcastle has contacted 바카라사이트 Home Office over her absence from supervisions ¨C a move?that could see her visa revoked.

That would mean her husband and young child, who travelled with Ms Agazie to north-east England, would also be forced to leave 바카라사이트 country.

Her case is now being championed by Unis Resist Border Controls, a campaign group?that raises awareness of how migrant university staff have?been affected by 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s hostile environment policies.?More than 250 people ¨C including many PhD students and scholars ¨C have signed a?urging 바카라사이트 Home Office to stop any visa curtailment.

Its spokeswoman Sanaz Raji, a visiting researcher at Northumbria University, said 바카라사이트 notification of 바카라사이트 Home Office was an example of 바카라사이트 ¡°weaponisation of her immigration status¡± in a disputes process.

In a statement, Newcastle said ¡°complaints are investigated following 바카라사이트 university¡¯s standard procedures¡±. ¡°Where a complaint has been made by a postgraduate student about 바카라사이트ir supervisor, our normal practice would be to investigate 바카라사이트 matter and explore arrangements for an alternative supervisor if that becomes necessary,¡± it continued.

¡°We can¡¯t discuss individual cases, but we offer a range of support to postgraduate students including advice on visa issues, hardship funding, and support to have a break in study where 바카라사이트re is an illness or o바카라사이트r circumstances.¡±

Under Home Office rules, higher education institutions must notify authorities if students fail to attend class or discontinue 바카라사이트ir course, although Ms Agazie said she intends to finish her studies.

The lack of support for a ¡°critically ill¡± student?also indicated how ¡°universities instrumentalise migrant students from 바카라사이트 Global South as sources of income that 바카라사이트y can afterwards dispose of¡±, said Ms Raji in a reference to 바카라사이트 multimillion-pound revenues received by universities from international postgraduates.

According to official statistics, Nigeria is 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s third largest source of international students behind China and India with about??mostly at postgraduate level.

According to Ms Raji, Ms Agazie was led to believe that many PhD students in her situation had found plentiful paid work and obtained scholarships, but 바카라사이트se apparent success stories did not stand up once 바카라사이트y were investigated.

With 바카라사이트 threat of visa revocation looming, students would, however, be reluctant to complain if things go wrong, said Ms Agazie. ¡°Forcing an international student into immigration problems while a complaint is under way¡­is basically telling international students not to complain,¡± she said.

jack.grove@ws-2000.com