New terror laws set to cost Scots colleges millions

Published on Saturday 16 January 2010 19:12

UNIVERSITY leaders have warned that the UK Government's tightening of immigration laws to crack down on bogus students and potential terrorists will harm institutions north of the border and cost the Scottish economy tens of millions of pounds.

Universities Scotland is writing to the Scottish Secretary claiming the plans, which have taken on an added importance following the Christmas Day bombing attack by Abdul Farouk Abdulmutallab, below, will prevent thousands of foreign students from coming to Scotland and will put 1,000 jobs at risk.

The umbrella body representing the Scottish higher education sector is concerned that while the immigration crackdown may make sense in London, it is inappropriate in Scotland, where universities and colleges have benefited from a twofold increase in the number of overseas students over the past seven years.

The abortive bomb attack by Nigerian student Abdulmutallab on board Flight 253 as it came in to land at Detroit on Christmas Day has increased concern about potential terrorists coming to the UK to study. Abdulmutallab spent three years studying engineering at University College London before moving to Yemen, where he came into contact with al-Qaeda operatives.

A review of the points-based immigration system launched by Gordon Brown last November included proposals to crack down on bogus colleges and bogus students from outside the European Union. A report on the review is expected to be published at the end of this month.

The points-based system requires that colleges and universities that want to recruit foreign students need a "sponsor" licence. In turn, every foreign student will need a licensed sponsor.

The review of student policy will examine the case for mandatory English language testing for student visas. It will also consider whether visas should be granted only to foreign students on degree and postgraduate courses.

Visas would be stopped for those seeking to take shorter courses leading to lower-level qualifications in order to clamp down on people using these as an excuse to enter the UK before disappearing into illegal work.

In Scotland, there are concerns that the new measures could discourage students, particularly those who want to take a short English language course before starting their degrees, from coming to the country.

Currently, many Middle Eastern students come to Scotland to study engineering because they value the chance to do their degrees while improving their English. Alastair Sim, director of Universities Scotland, told Scotland on Sunday there would be "dismay" if Scotland's reputation as a welcoming country for foreign students was damaged.

"There is a real risk that in the middle of a recession these new immigration rules could, in the worst-case scenario, cost Scotland thousands of valuable overseas students, hundreds of graduates who might want to stay and work in Scotland, tens of millions of pounds of income and possibly more than 1,000 jobs in the Scottish economy," Sim said.

"Nobody is disputing the need to have effective immigration controls, but rules designed to solve the problem of bogus colleges running immigration scams run the real risk of badly affecting universities with a worldwide reputation."

There are 9,000 full-time undergraduates from the EU studying in Scotland presently as well as thousands of post-graduates.

Sim said: "International students are especially important to Scotland, not least because of the needs of the Scottish economy. Scotland does not always have the international profile of London and we just can't afford to scare away potential students. Higher education is Scotland's second biggest service sector exporter and we bring in nearly half a billion pounds to the Scottish economy from overseas."

Sim compared the potential damage to that suffered by the United States after it clamped down on student visa rules in the wake of the 11 September terrorist attacks of 2001.

"It (the US] lost a third of its overseas students," Sim said. "We just cannot afford a message getting out that appears to suggest that overseas students aren't welcome here."

A spokesman for the education secretary Michael Russell said: "We share the concerns of Universities Scotland, which is why the powers of the Scottish Parliament need to be extended in this area. We need a policy that is right for Scotland, is tailored for our circumstances, and supports our ambitions to boost skills and economic activity in Scotland."

A UK Government spokesman said that it was important to get the right balance between genuine students and legitimate concerns about security and illegality. The spokesman said the system ensured "we maintain the benefits while guarding the student route from abuse".

He added: "The system of sponsorship places responsibility on colleges and universities that benefit from migration.

"They will need to demonstrate that they deliver high quality learning and have systems in place to vet and monitor students."