Figures obtained under Freedom of Information indicate that more than 1500 students are being reported to UK immigration authorities by academics and tertiary education staff each month for suspicions over their UK visa status. At least 27,000 foreigners studying in the UK were reported to the UK Border Agency between March 2009 and 2010.  This is a considerable percentage of the 228,000 foreigners that came to UK for study last year.

The figures question the role of educators in reporting perceived visa breaches. Observers argue it should not be the role of universities to monitor compliance with immigration laws. The universities are now conducting surveillance operations on students visa status and are humiliating students and demonstrating hostile behaviour toward students causing anxiety and distress to otherwise completely law abiding students. We, in our role ad solicitors are experiencing a dramatic increase in consultations from students who are being denied access to their studies because of the universities interpretation of the current immigration rules and we have identified many instances where the universities are simply misinterpreting the law.

The figures signify a worrying trend where the UK Border Agency is so over-complicating the Immigration Rules and subjecting them to such dramatic and regular changes in both policy and law that most students and universities cannot keep up. The universities themselves are threatened with withdrawal of their sponsorship status by the UK Border Agency if more than a set percentange of their students over-run their visa’s. This is leading to a culture of ‘spying on students’ and many students are having their courses terminated early and being denied entry to classes and exams due to the fear of the universities in some way breaching the Immigration Rules.

Our experience shows that many of these decisions by the universities are deeply flawed. Any student experiencing difficulties in dealing with their college or university due to their immigration status can contact us on 020 8401 7352 for a free initial telephone consultation with one of our specialist immigration solicitors.