← Autodidact Archive · Original Dissent · Avalanche
Thread ID: 12053 | Posts: 3 | Started: 2004-01-28
2004-01-28 01:07 | User Profile
[url]http://www.newsoftheworld.co.uk/story_pages/news/news5.shtml[/url]
NEWS OF THE WORLD INVESTIGATES: Foreign student scam and asylum madness
BA (hons) in being illegal immigrant By Mazher Mahmood
HORDES of immigrants posing as scholars are flooding in to the UKââ¬âand some of them can't even read their visa papers.
The study scam is being fuelled by backstreet colleges all over Britain that are dishing out places on diploma courses for as little as ã380.
At least SIX new "colleges" have sprung up in a half-mile radius in London's East End alone.
All of them have grand names and flash websites designed to impress the Home Office.
But they operate from dingy rooms in basements and above shops and are willing to secure a study visa for anyoneââ¬â regardless of qualification.
Incredibly, the Home Office has NO system to ensure foreign students really are here to study.
And attendance on courses at these colleges is NOT required.
Once here, the "student" is free to roam the country.
Last week when our undercover reporter visited the six to secure a place for a "relative from Pakistan" there wasn't a student in sight.
And it was clear from his chats with college chiefs that the only qualification on offer was a diploma in deception.
[B]Visa[/B]
Saifur Rahman, who runs the London Cosmopolitan College in Commercial Road, "guaranteed" to get our man a student visa.
His college offered various courses where there was "no need for students to attend classes once in Britain", Rahman said.
City Of East London College director Nizam Uddin was equally helpful. Once in Britain Uddin said our student would have no hassle from the immigration authorities.
"He'll be here legally but should go to school, 16 hours a week is required," he said.
But when told that our man would be living in Leicester, Uddin replied: "We'll sort it out. If he can show his face once a week, it'll be good."
[B]Bogus[/B]
At the nearby Royal Academic College of London, situated in a basement on Christian Street, a brunette called Sofia assured us: "It's not a problem if he doesn't attend lessons.
"If immigration check he will be here legally, everyone does it." It would appear so.
Just yards away at the London College of Business Management and Computing balding registrar Ali Hyder also said that our student would "never" have to attend class.
The same was true at the London Victoria College on Whitechapel Road, where Mohammed Alam ran a ramshackle office.
And when we visited the Central College of London above the Bengal Cuisine restaurant, boss Jagdish Bhattarai confirmed: "There will be no problem with us, or immigration, if he doesn't attend."
An immigration official said last night: "We are aware of these bogus colleges up and down the country. We are committed to targeting such places."
Our dossier is available to them.
2004-01-28 02:57 | User Profile
[QUOTE=Avalanche] At least SIX new "colleges" have sprung up in a half-mile radius in London's East End alone.
All of them have grand names and flash websites designed to impress the Home Office.
But they operate from dingy rooms in basements and above shops and are willing to secure a study visa for anyoneââ¬â regardless of qualification.
And attendance on courses at these colleges is NOT required.
Once here, the "student" is free to roam the country. [/QUOTE]
Ain't this good to know if you ever have to get out of Dodge? I mean, this works for anybody, right? If the lady and I skip town and get to the UK, can we play "student" till we're old enough for SS?
This is for real. Any UK readers got any details on this?
Never know -- we might all be refugees someday. :yes:
2004-01-28 14:51 | User Profile
[QUOTE=Ragnar]Ain't this good to know if you ever have to get out of Dodge? I mean, this works for anybody, right? If the lady and I skip town and get to the UK, can we play "student" till we're old enough for SS?
This is for real. Any UK readers got any details on this?
Never know -- we might all be refugees someday. :yes:[/QUOTE]
Ragnar, don't know much about this, but this is what the visa application website says:
*How do I qualify to travel to the UK as a student?
You must be able to show that you have been accepted on a course of study at:
* a publicly funded institution of further or higher education (e.g. a university)
* a private-education institution
* an independent fee paying school
And that you are going to follow:
* a recognised full-time degree course
* a weekday full-time course involving at least 15 hours organised daytime study per week
* a full-time course of study at an independent fee paying school
You must also:
* be able to pay for your course and support an accommodate yourself and any dependants without working or help from public funds
* plan to leave the UK when you complete your studies
* As for Social Security, I don't know how old you are but the British Welfare State will probably go bust before you're ready for a Zimmer frame. :whlch: