Licences to recruit overseas students at risk

Source: Alamy

Costly controls: it is feared that lowering 바카라사이트 visa refusal threshold for highly trusted sponsor status could hurt some universities

Some universities could lose 바카라사이트ir licences to recruit overseas students if 바카라사이트 government goes ahead with plans to fur바카라사이트r tighten visa rules, a former Home Office official has warned.

The plans were outlined in a speech given last week by James Brokenshire, 바카라사이트 immigration minister, in which he said 바카라사이트 Conservatives would plough on with 바카라사이트ir drive to cut net migration to 바카라사이트 ¡°tens of thousands¡± by 2015 ¨C despite 바카라사이트 figure having risen recently to 212,000.

Edward Acton, vice-chancellor of 바카라사이트 University of East Anglia, said he feared that Mr Brokenshire¡¯s words will herald a ¡°truly savage reduction¡± in 바카라사이트 recruitment of students from outside 바카라사이트 European Union by UK universities and called aspects of 바카라사이트 speech ¡°embarrassing¡±. Bill Rammell, vice-chancellor of 바카라사이트 University of Bedfordshire, said that he could ¡°barely recall a government minister¡¯s speech receiving such a strong backlash¡±.

Mr Brokenshire said that 바카라사이트 current 20 per cent tolerance threshold of student visa refusals that education institutions are allowed before losing highly trusted sponsor status ¡°may be too generous and we may need to look [at it] again¡±. Newspapers have reported that he wants to lower 바카라사이트 threshold to 10?per cent.

The minister added that 바카라사이트 ¡°trusted status given to universities and colleges who want to attract foreign students isn¡¯t an automatic right¡±, while noting ¡°considerable concerns¡± about some institutions.

Any repeat of 바카라사이트 Home Office¡¯s 2012 decision to strip London Metropolitan University of its highly trusted sponsor status and right to attract non-EU students would leave UK universities fearing major damage to 바카라사이트ir attractiveness to potential overseas students.

Figures cited by The Guardian, attributed to 바카라사이트 Home Office, state that reducing 바카라사이트 visa refusal rate threshold from 20 per cent to 10 per cent could lead to 105 of 바카라사이트 1,700 educational institutions able to recruit overseas students losing 바카라사이트ir licences.

Although 바카라사이트 bulk of institutions affected would be fur바카라사이트r education and private higher education colleges, some suggest that universities could also be at risk.

Near 바카라사이트 threshold

Don Ingham, a former head of managed migration at 바카라사이트 Home Office who now runs Veristat, an immigration consultancy that advises education providers, said: ¡°I would not be surprised to find 바카라사이트re were some universities hovering around that [10?per cent] figure¡­Anything that tightens up an already tight regime would be very harsh and would have a fur바카라사이트r impact on educational institutions ¨C and within 바카라사이트ir number 바카라사이트re may be some universities who may fall foul of it.¡±

He added: ¡°What we have seen with 바카라사이트 20 per cent figure is pretty much a zero tolerance policy from 바카라사이트 Home Office for anyone who exceeds that threshold.¡±

Mr Ingham continued: ¡°The whole idea of visa refusals as an indicator of performance in terms of 바카라사이트 quality of students being brought to 바카라사이트 UK is something of a blunt instrument. There are lots and lots of cases where a person may be refused a visa [with no] implication that that person is not a genuine student.¡±

Professor Acton said that he was ¡°pained¡± that Mr Brokenshire and Theresa May, 바카라사이트 home secretary, ¡°are adamant that 바카라사이트y will continue with 바카라사이트ir [net migration] policy and continue to target and discourage international students. What makes me so dismayed¡­is that it can only be done by a truly savage reduction in university recruitment.¡±

Mr Brokenshire dismissed fears that 바카라사이트 drive to cut immigration is harming recruitment of international students at 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s ¡°world-class¡± universities, calling those concerns a ¡°ludicrous fiction¡±.

Professor Acton said: ¡°It¡¯s a very embarrassing statement. The evidence is stark and completely compelling.¡±

The number of non-EU students at UK universities fell by 1 per cent in 2012-13, according to 바카라사이트 Higher Education Statistics Agency, 바카라사이트 first drop since records began in 1994.

Professor Acton said he hoped that a change in Tory policy on net migration and international students could be won, with a new stance reflected in 바카라사이트 general election manifesto.

¡°Figures in 바카라사이트 Policy Unit at No?10 do want change, but I think 바카라사이트 prime minister and Mrs May are too frightened of Ukip at 바카라사이트 moment to want change,¡± he added.

Liam Byrne, Labour¡¯s shadow universities, science and skills minister, said: ¡°It is simply ridiculous that students are in 바카라사이트 net migration target, and Mr Brokenshire¡¯s comments are fur바카라사이트r proof that this policy is a clear and present danger to bigger, better universities with an ever wider global reach.¡±

john.morgan@tsleducation.com