UK student visa rules challenged by Education Union

United Kingdom, 3rd June: University and College Union(UCU) has challenged the new rules of UK student visas claiming the new rules force the academics to spy on international students.

Speaking at the UCU’s annual congress held in Manchester, academic delegates said that they are required to report against those foreign students pursuing various study courses in the UK who are found guilty of missing their classes, dropping out or failing to enroll.

Moreover, as per the latest stricter UK student visa norms, all UK colleges and UK universities are required to get a license from the UKBA (UK Border Agency) before admitting any foreign students.

Hence, it’s due to these requirements that the UCU has been reinforcing its demand of scrapping of new strict UK student visa rules at the earliest. The new points-based immigration system of the UK seems to hinder the academic freedom in the UK, the delegates allege.

A resolution was passed by all UCU members on Tuesday in which they urged the union to opt for a legal challenge at the national level and if that fails to bring the desired results, then the next course of action should be to take the case to the European Court of Human Rights.

The UCU resolution has vowed against the discriminatory nature of the UK immigration’s PBS(Points-based system) and its effect on the diversity and equality with the university sector. 

Similarly, another resolution by UCU delegates claims that a large number of applications for UK student visas from different nations including India, particularly North India, Nepal and Bangladesh have not been approved in the last few months.

The resolution has called for a campaign against recent restrictions imposed on UK student visas and UK work visas by highlighting the significant contribution made by the foreign students and immigrant workers in the UK to the UK economy.

Sally Hunt, general secretary of the UCU, expressed the opposition of the UK education union to such UK immigration policies which force the UCU members to done the role of police and border personnel and spy on foreign students studying in the UK.

Hunt urged all students, sister unions and external organizations to come forward and join hands in opposing such UK visa rules.