http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/education/article6388701.ece
Members of the University of Colleges Union (UCU) voted no to the new visa rules on foreign students. These new rules would force university lecturers and staff to spy on their foreign students. Accordingly, “universities must keep a copy students’ passports, report them if they fail to enroll or consistently miss lectures, or if they drop out.” Suspicion of students’ involvement in terrorist activities is to be reported as well. The UCU called this “discriminatory” and “an attack on the civil liberties of international staff and students.” UCU General secretary, Sally hunt added, “Our members are educators not border guards.” The tightened immigration legislation wants them to do policing and surveillance work. Presently, there are 240,000 foreign students in Britain; where as 43,120 of them are Pakistanis. The union will lobby for the abolition of this new visa rule.
Reaction
I support the union’s call to abolish this new visa rule. Firstly, University professors, lecturers and staff are there to provide education and not to act as a National Guard or border patrols. Secondly, this new rule is discriminating and an attack on people's civil liberties. It immediately tags foreign students as suspicious elements, thus, are threat to Britain’s national security. It attacks the freedom of movement and privacy among others. Thirdly, certain professors who might have a grudge against a student can abuse this rule. Just by a mere suspicion of “terrorist action”, a student is instantly subject to interrogation. What is a “terrorist action” anyway? Thirdly, in the same article, it is reported that the British immigration law has a loophole that allows foreign students, mostly Pakistanis, to obtain a student visa. This is the immigration people’s problem. Besides, these students entered Britain legally. Lastly, an education institution operates separately from the immigration and border agencies. It has a distinct entity. The education institutions are there to teach and not to police.
Members of the University of Colleges Union (UCU) voted no to the new visa rules on foreign students. These new rules would force university lecturers and staff to spy on their foreign students. Accordingly, “universities must keep a copy students’ passports, report them if they fail to enroll or consistently miss lectures, or if they drop out.” Suspicion of students’ involvement in terrorist activities is to be reported as well. The UCU called this “discriminatory” and “an attack on the civil liberties of international staff and students.” UCU General secretary, Sally hunt added, “Our members are educators not border guards.” The tightened immigration legislation wants them to do policing and surveillance work. Presently, there are 240,000 foreign students in Britain; where as 43,120 of them are Pakistanis. The union will lobby for the abolition of this new visa rule.
Reaction
I support the union’s call to abolish this new visa rule. Firstly, University professors, lecturers and staff are there to provide education and not to act as a National Guard or border patrols. Secondly, this new rule is discriminating and an attack on people's civil liberties. It immediately tags foreign students as suspicious elements, thus, are threat to Britain’s national security. It attacks the freedom of movement and privacy among others. Thirdly, certain professors who might have a grudge against a student can abuse this rule. Just by a mere suspicion of “terrorist action”, a student is instantly subject to interrogation. What is a “terrorist action” anyway? Thirdly, in the same article, it is reported that the British immigration law has a loophole that allows foreign students, mostly Pakistanis, to obtain a student visa. This is the immigration people’s problem. Besides, these students entered Britain legally. Lastly, an education institution operates separately from the immigration and border agencies. It has a distinct entity. The education institutions are there to teach and not to police.
1 comment:
You told us about this in clas the other day and I still can't believe that ther could be such a complicated law to solve a minor problem.
Post a Comment