The United Kingdom (UK) has introduced tougher immigration measures that could prevent universities from recruiting international students if they fail to meet stricter compliance standards.
The new rules, announced by the UK Home Office on Thursday, are part of efforts to curb rising asylum claims linked to work, study and tourist visas. Foreign students currently account for the largest share of such claims.
Under the revised framework, universities risk losing their licence to recruit overseas students if more than five per cent of visa applications linked to their institution are refused. The previous threshold was 10 per cent.
The Home Office said it can monitor both student visa refusal rates and the universities associated with unsuccessful applicants, allowing authorities to identify institutions that fail to carry out adequate checks.
Universities could also face sanctions if large numbers of international students fail to enrol or complete their courses.
The government has raised the minimum enrolment requirement for foreign students to 95 per cent, up from 90 per cent. The course completion benchmark has also increased from 85 per cent to 90 per cent.
According to the Home Office, high drop-out rates may suggest some students are entering the illegal labour market rather than pursuing their studies. Likewise, elevated visa refusal rates or low enrolment figures could indicate inadequate screening of applicants by educational institutions.
The latest measures follow an “emergency brake” introduced three months ago on study visas for nationals of Afghanistan, Cameroon, Myanmar and Sudan after authorities reported unusually high levels of asylum claims from those groups.
Officials said asylum applications from students have fallen by 30 per cent over the past year following tighter enforcement measures.
The ministry also revealed that it has contacted around 306,000 students whose visas are nearing expiry, warning that unfounded asylum claims will be rejected quickly. Those without legal permission to remain in the country have been told they must leave or face removal.
