Education: UK University may be forced to close after visa scandal

An investigation by The UK Border Agency - the Immigration Department - checked a sample of 101 non-EU students attending the University which likes to call itself "The London Met." Out of those 101 student, the Agency said, it found that 26 did not have valid visas. But that was only part of the problem: and what the Agency uncovered has widespread implications for the whole education sector in the UK, including private colleges and other organisations.

Out of 250 in another sample, the Agency found that 142 did not attend classes regularly. The Agency interviewed 50 students and found their standard of English to be "limited" - that means that even if they attended classes, they could not follow what was going on nor submit work in adequate English.

The UK Border Agency was incensed: it decided that the appropriate way of dealing with the situation was direct action. So it simply cancelled the visas of all London Met's non-EU students, thereby rendering them technically illegally present in the UK. It went further, cancelling the authority under which London Met was able to admit students needing visas.

The University is understood to be seeking urgent judicial review of the Agency's revocation of its permissions. It also faces a barrage of litigation from students who have paid thousands of pounds for courses which they will not, now, be able to complete.

Worse, the new academic year will start shortly. It is as yet unknown how many students have been admitted for next year and whether those fees have been paid.

UK Border Agency says that it is setting up a scheme to interview and assess all those already in the country and, for genuine cases, to try to find another place for them to continue their studies.

Various bodies and individuals have said that the UK Border Agency's actions will harm the reputation of the UK's education sector which brings in more than GBP12,000 million from outside the EU annually. None of those has questioned the admissions process that led to the inspections in the first place.

Source: http://chiefofficers.net/888333888/cms/index.php/news/industries/education/education_uk_university_may_be_forced_to_close_after_visa_scandal

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