Student Visas ‘a Massive Hole’ In Border Controls As Numbers Top 1.5 Million In 8 Years

Nearly 3/4 of visas under the Points Based System are given to students

11/2 million students admitted in just 8 years

No checks on how many leave UK

Role of Immigration Officers severely undermined

A new report out today reveals that student visas are a massive loophole in our border controls. Nearly three quarters of visas issued under the Points Based System are given not to workers but students, under a system that is easily abused, badly administered and complex. Far from being “tough and flexible” as the Government claims, the new Points Based System has made a bad situation much worse.

The report by Migrationwatch shows that:

Nearly 1½ million student visas have been issued in the last 8 years. Students also account for a huge number of applications for extension. For example, between 2004 and 2007 they averaged about 140,000 per year…

See the Full Press Release

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