Up to 63,000 Entered UK with Fraud Visas in 2011

August 06 2012 by Kate Davies





According to some interviews by the Home Office in the UK around 50% of those who applied for student visas from particular countries were actually bogus.





These UK visa applicants were understood to either have no intention to study, lack the money to study or were highly likely to continue on in the country when their visas had been finished. Pressure group migration watch claimed that as many as 63,000 students could have come to the UK in 2011 – based on these figures.

Migration Watch has called for the UK government to create more rigorous tests and interviews for potential students coming to the UK.

Migration Watch’s Chairman Sir Andrew Green said, “We now have clear evidence of abuse on a major scale. Bogus students come here to work illegally and thus take jobs from British workers.”

This report and Migration Watch’s understanding of the events are the latest turn in a number of issues relating to student visas, interviews for student visas and the overall financial and development benefits of student visas to the UK.
Financial Concerns

The government had promised to cut the numbers of UK immigrants from hundreds of thousands to tens of thousands, after the election. However, studies have shown of their benefits to the UK economy and this mood has changed somewhat. The government has gone as far as suggesting removing students from the net migration figure, though others feel this won’t give an accurate account of the real migration into the UK.

The other problem with removing students from net migration is that exit checks would also have to be introduced to the system to account for the numbers that exit the UK. The US and Australia currently use a system similar to this.
Rigorous Checks

A recent report also suggests that after a three month Interview pilot study there are a large number of students who wouldn’t qualify for entry if interviews were obligatory. According to the report up to 44% of applicants wouldn’t receive a UK visa if they had to undergo these more rigorous checks. This figure was nearly 60% when it came to Nigerian, Indian and Bangladeshi students and up to 62% when it came to Burmese students. Most of these students were applicants to private colleges, though around 14% of applicants were hoping to study at a IK university.

Migration Watch used these figures and percentages to calculate their figure of 63,000 bogus students entering into the UK. Migration Watch wants more powers for immigration officials to refuse students on credibility grounds and Sir Andrew has said, “If they are serious about immigration they must face down the self-interested demands of the higher education sector and pursue the public interest.”

http://www.globalvisas.com/news/up_to_63_000_entered_uk_with_fraud_visas_in_20113556.html