Bogus Colleges

HC 595, Eleventh Report of Session 2008-09 - Report, Together with Formal Minutes, Oral and Written Evidence

Author:

House of Commons - Home Affairs Committee

Publisher:

TSO (The Stationery Office)

Insufficient quality assurance procedures on the part of the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills for private educational establishments on the Register of Education Providers, which facilitated the issuing of student visas between 2005 and 2009, allowed bogus colleges to bring foreign nationals into the UK on fraudulent student visas.

The Committee suspects that a significant proportion of some 2,200 colleges, which have not transferred from the Register of Education Providers to the new register of sponsors under the points based immigration system, are not legitimate. Colleges not on the register of sponsors will no longer be able to facilitate student visas. However, the number of illegal immigrants who may already have entered the UK on fraudulent student visas may run into tens of thousands.

This report, 'Bogus Colleges (HC 595)', finds no substantial evidence to corroborate the alleged link between bogus colleges and terrorist activity. Evidence suggests that most individuals entering the UK on fraudulently-obtained student visas do so in order to work illegally.

New arrangements for issuing student visas under the points based immigration system do appear to provide a more effective means of countering bogus colleges but the inspection regime in place gives cause for concern.

The report strongly recommends that the Government uses the Companies Act 2006 to restrict use of the term 'college' in future to properly accredited institutions and instigates an inspection regime to enforce this.

Extent	44 pages	ISBN	9780215540201
Size	A4	Price	£11.00
Binding	Paperback	Published	21 Jul 2009
Availability	Colour copy: 3 - 5 days	Delivery	Delivery options and charges

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