LAHORE: Around 50,000 Pakistanis have travelled to Britain on student visas during the last five years, according to The Sun newspaper. Since 2006, 98 percent applications for “extension of leave to remain in Britain” have been granted.
Rules introduced last month require that colleges get government approval before students arrive here and ministers insist there has been a crackdown on visa abuse. But critics claim there has been an “open gateway” over recent years. Sir Andrew Green of the Migration Watch told the paper, “Not enough checks are being made on those from countries of concern like Pakistan.”
“Everyone coming here should be given a thorough interview. That is not done at the moment. There is also a problem with bogus institutions sponsoring students. Security needs tightening up. We have been calling for this for years.”
Shadow home secretary Chris Grayling also called on the government to “urgently step up” background checks on students from countries linked to terror. A Home Office spokesman said all students applying to come to Britain were fingerprinted and then checked against “a range of immigration, terrorism and crime-watch lists”.
Meanwhile, Pakistan’s high commissioner to the UK said not enough security checks were being done. Wajid Shamsul Hasan said Pakistani authorities could help carry out background checks on student visa applicants but were not allowed to. He said, “It is at your end, you have to do something more.” |