Student visa chaos 英国学生签证混乱

Vocabulary: studying abroad 海外留学

London Metropolitan University

Is it right to tell students to pack their bags and leave the UK halfway through their degree courses?

Up to 2,700 overseas students have to leave the country or find an alternative course by 1 December, after a British university has been stripped of the right to recruit international students. London Metropolitan University is no longer allowed to authorise visas for students outside the European Union after its licence was revoked.

The UK Border Agency made this controversial decision after it found that London Metropolitan University has not taken adequate measures to ensure applicants are genuine students. It claims that more than a quarter of the 101 students sampled have no right to remain in the UK and that there isn't proper evidence to show students have reached a satisfactory level of English. It says there are also attendance monitoring issues, which means it is impossible to know whether students are turning up for lectures.

The UK Border Agency's decision has been widely criticised for damaging the reputation of the UK's universities and disrupting legitimate students. Donna Marie Winstanley, from Hong Kong, doesn't know whether she'll be allowed to finish her university course: "If you have studied in London, you are more likely to get a better job in Asia. (…) I've already paid around £16,000 in fees and was preparing to pay just over £8,000 for this year's fees."

MPs have called on Immigration Minister Damian Green to allow existing students to finish their degree courses, but Mr Green said he would "enforce the rules". Some prioritise a crackdown on illegal immigration while others think current students should be allowed to stay: which school of thought do you subscribe to?