The London Metropolitan University has had its license to sponsor international students withdrawn. The move by the UK Border Agency comes after uncovering serious and systemic failings in the university’s system after more than 6 months of not being addressed.
Doesn’t have the capacity to be a proper sponsor.
Amongst the breaches include:
- Allowing students to continue studying without valid visas;
- Students gaining visas but not being reported when they failed to show up to enrolment;
- Failure by the university to adequately test students’ English language abilities;
- Failure to assess the students’ academic ability and academic records;
The implications of the revocation are hugely significant and far-reaching, and the University has already started to deal with these. It will be working very closely with the UKBA, HEFCE, the National Union of Students and its own Students’ Union.
NUS President Liam Burns has conveyed his anger as the ‘heavy-handed’ decision by the UKBA stating:
This decision will create panic and potential heartbreak for students, not just at London Met but also all around the world. Politicians need to realise that a continued attitude of suspicion towards international students could endanger the continuation of higher education as a successful export industry.
Following the UKBA’s recent decision to revoke the universities licence as well as increases to tuition fees; there is a real fear that the UK could suffer over the coming years to attract international students – a market which is financially rich to the UK’s economy.