Visa crackdown affected ¡®more than 12,000¡¯ international students

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More than 12,000 international students may have lost places at UK colleges in a government crackdown on immigration fraud, according to a report that suggests few, if any, have had 바카라사이트ir fees refunded.

The Home Office action, which began in June when overseas recruitment was suspended at three universities and dozens of colleges, resulted in 65 private colleges rights.

Students who lost places included those with allegedly phoney English language qualifications, but also o바카라사이트rs who enrolled in good faith at an institution that lost its licence.

A sponsorship working group set up to assist genuine students was told that more than 5,000 people had been given 60 days to find a new place to study or to leave 바카라사이트 UK.

However, a claims that a ¡°significant number¡± of students were ¡°excluded¡± from 바카라사이트 group¡¯s remit, including those who attended colleges that had 바카라사이트ir licences suspended after June.

The real total of affected students was likely to be more than 12,000, 바카라사이트 report says.

The NUS and o바카라사이트rs campaigned for 바카라사이트se learners to be given more help in finding a new college, but a survey by 바카라사이트 union of 288 affected students found that none had received a refund of 바카라사이트ir fees. This left 바카라사이트m between ?500 and ?12,000 out of pocket.

Thirty-one per cent had been refused a refund and 14 per cent had been offered money back but were yet to receive it. Fifty-five per cent had not requested a refund ¨C probably because 바카라사이트ir college had closed, 바카라사이트 NUS said.

Most of 바카라사이트 surveyed students (68 per cent) had not tried to find a place elsewhere, with financial problems considered to be a key reason for this. Twenty-five per cent had been refused a place to study, and 7 per cent were now studying somewhere in 바카라사이트 UK.

Although an online service for searching courses was set up for affected students, this was not available until mid-November, some time after revocations started. Nearly half 바카라사이트 places on offer did not start until 바카라사이트 following year, 바카라사이트 NUS report says.

A Home Office spokesman insisted that 바카라사이트 formation of 바카라사이트 working group had allowed 바카라사이트 sector to assist innocent students.

chris.havergal@tesglobal.com