John of Gwent
Why won't the UK Border Agency Tell Us The Truth about "Overseas Students"?
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Written by John of Gwent
I see from the BBC News Website this morning that some 1200 "overseas students" are facing forced removal from the UK following the UK Border Agency's decision to revoke the cosy little arrangement that "London Metropolitan University" has which allows it to hand out visas to all and sundry wanting to "study" there, an arrangement that seems little more than a licence to charge them well over the £9,000 they might charge UK students in exchange for a piece of paper saying "come on in, the benefits are lovely".
Predictably Keith Vaz leads the clamour against this move, whingeing that those poor students must be protected at all costs and the government's crass procrastination has meant it is too late for them to find an alternative place to continue their studies robbing us blind.
I have two questions about this whole business
1. What the hell is a "university" doing granting visas in the first place? Who the hell allowed the very institution that profits (and profits handsomely) from those who come into this country to "study" at their institution to be the one that hands out the entry tickets? What guarantees do we have that they are even bothering to see past their own balance sheet.
2. Why won't the UK Border Agency tell us the reason why it suspended this cosy little arrangement?
