To be fair I do not think anyone can honestly stand up and say the current international student system is robust or meets the needs of the UKBA. I posted a who's who's in another thread. It clearly points to the failures in the past and lack of control or care. UKBA is far from blameless however there is a huge gulf from saying the system was not well policed to blaming the system for the criminality of those who knowing abused the weaknesses.
Remember the students who purchased fake qualifications knew what they were buying. They also knew why they were buying the qualifications and that the benefits they hoped to gain outweighed the initial cost and perceived low risk of being discovered.
That is why CCL "students" are so angry. They were suckered by the bogus college into believing that they would not get caught, a couple of thousand pounds was a small cost to be able to work for two years in the UK. Then to get turned over by UKBA and a BBC expose thrown in it is all too much to take. It feels as everyone is laughing at them, taunted for being stupid enough to think they would get a way with it, getting caught so quickly, paying £2000 for a bit of now worthless paper, it all adds up to them feeling they were let down by everyone but themselves.
With tier 4 coming into force this year, the system will become stronger and leave less room for abuse. No matter what there will always be attacks on the system.
I discussed a glaring hole in the PBS system only this week and how it could be tackled. If the gamekeeper can spot the hole I am sure the poacher was already planning how to exploit it!
I believe UKBA is serious about rooting out the bogus colleges and has a far better chance with the increase in resources to check and licence the establishments. By default the refusal of a student tier 4 licence effectively closes the college.
Student tracking is now mandatory, which is a great leap forward. No more up and off to the next establishment with UKBA being left in the dark. No more "I will be going to X Uni" only to enter the UK to immediately go to Y establishment.
Give it time to work and see where we are in 2011.
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