Six institutions sponsor over a third of UK asylum-seeking students

More than a third of foreign students who later sought asylum in the UK were initially sponsored by just six educational institutions, according to leaked figures revealing concerns about potential misuse of higher education as an immigration route.

The statistics, covering the 12 months to March 2023, indicate a significant surge in asylum claims, with 6,136 cases lodged by foreign students, compared to the previous year's figures, reported the Daily Mail.

Of these, 2,195 students were sponsored by five universities and one education agency. Study Group UK, a prominent international education specialist, sponsored visas for 804 students who later claimed asylum. 642 asylum claims from Bangladeshis and 156 from Pakistanis, the newspaper reported.

Other institutions involved included Portsmouth University, De Montfort University, the University of Hertfordshire, Coventry University, and the University for the Creative Arts, each sponsoring varying numbers of students who later sought asylum.

Criticism of the higher education sector's role in facilitating the entry of foreign students has been voiced by figures like former Home Secretary Suella Braverman, who said, "Too many universities are selling immigration, not education."

In response to concerns, a review of the 'graduate visa' scheme, allowing students to work in the UK post-study, was announced by home secretary James Cleverly. However, the review's results are pending, following its official launch three months later, according to the Daily Mail.

Despite the surge in asylum claims, the latest Home Office data indicates a slight decrease in sponsored study visas granted last year compared to 2022, but a significant increase from pre-pandemic levels.

In defence, a University of Portsmouth spokesman attributed the issue to government asylum policy, stating that visa switching, leading to asylum claims, falls outside universities' direct control, reported the newspaper. The spokesman emphasised the university's cooperation with UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) to address the issue.

A Study Group spokesman said: "As a UKVI licence-holder with a track record of compliance to sponsor international students, we take our duties extremely seriously and flag immigration concerns regarding any students who may seem non-genuine."

A spokesman for the higher education body Universities UK International said, "To recruit international students, universities must meet very high standards set by government."