Language colleges fear multi-million pound loss from proposed immigration reforms

College principals have told the Oxford Mail that foreign students could be put off coming to the city, and changes to immigration rules could prevent others from entering the UK.

Home Secretary Teresa May has announced plans to limit students coming to study in Britain, because of fears many leave their courses to settle illegally in the UK.

Last week she announced a consultation on restricting entry to students studying for degrees, but promised “some flexibility” for language colleges offering lower-level qualifications who have been awarded Highly Trusted Sponsors (HTS) status by the UK Border Agency.

In Oxford, 53 schools, colleges and other institutions have the status, with a further 10 across the county.

But John Hudson, of the College for International Education, St Michael’s Street, said the Government was using a “clumsy weapon” to tackle the problem which could lose Oxford millions of pounds in revenue if students were prevented from coming.

He said: “The proposals are still very unclear.

“If they do make it difficult for language schools to offer courses lower than degree level, that would have a tremendous impact across the city.

“It would be disastrous for many people in Oxford.

“We accept there is a problem, but we do not accept the way the Government is going about it. The weapons they are using are very clumsy.

“The UK Border Agency do not really understand how to tackle the problem of illegal immigration.”

And Robert Swan, the principal designate of Abacus College and Oxford Language Centre, said even if the Government only stopped entry to unregulated colleges, foreign students could still be put off coming to the UK.

He said: “My principal concern is the way these changes will be reported to foreign students.

“If they think it is not going to be easy to come and study in the UK, then they will take their valuable business to Australia and Canada who are crying out for it.

“Colleges like ours bring a huge amount of income into Oxford, but it also performs an important cultural role in exporting British values and education, which students then take back to their countries. Most importantly, they all do go back.”

Home Secretary Teresa May said: “Nearly half of all students coming here from abroad are actually coming to study a course below degree level and abuse is particularly common at these lower levels – a recent check of students studying at private institutions below degree level showed that a quarter could not be accounted for.

“Too many students, at these lower levels, have been coming here with a view to living and working, rather than studying.”