15-10-03

Barrett slams massive new charges on international students

John Barrett, Liberal Democrat MP for Edinburgh West, today joined a campaign by Edinburgh University Students' Association against massive new visa charges for international students.

The Home Office announced that from 1st August this year, they would charge a fee of up to £250 to process applications to extend permission to stay in the UK.  All non-EU international students, including the 2,500 students attending Edinburgh University, will now have to pay this charge every time they wish to extend their stay in the UK.  In many cases, students will have to pay the charge up to four or five times during their University or College careers.

Following a meeting with representatives of Edinburgh University Students' Association (EUSA), Mr Barrett has tabled a parliamentary motion, condemning the Government for the way the charges were introduced and calling for a reversal in policy.

In a statement, John Barrett said:

"The Government announced these new charges without any consultation with Universities or Student Organisations and only 21 days notice before their introduction. Thousands of international students in Edinburgh will be affected, two and a half thousand  at Edinburgh University alone.

"The way the visa charges were introduced has meant that many international students are still unaware that they will have to pay these charges when they next seek to extend their stay in the UK.  Worse still, the Home Office's charges will deliver no improvement in service.  Postal applications will only be processed within a maximum of 13 weeks.

"Scotland and Edinburgh especially has a long tradition of attracting students from across the World.  The Government has now put all this at risk despite its stated wish to attract even more international students to the country.

"The Government should, at the very least, review the entire way these applications are handled.  Better still, the Home Office should see the error of their ways and scrap these ridiculous charges altogether."

ENDS

Notes to Editors

• John Barrett has tabled the following Early Day Motion to Parliament:

That this House notes with concern the new charges of up to £250 which were introduced by the Home Office on 1st August 2003 to process applications to extend permission to stay in the UK; further notes that all non-EU international students will be subject to this charge each time they apply to extend their stay in the UK; condemns the Government for the way in which these charges were introduced with no consultation with Universities, Colleges or Student Organisations and only 21 days notice given; notes that the charges will not result in an improved service with the Home Office still aiming to process postal applications within a maximum of 13 weeks; is concerned that these charges will hit many international students studying in the UK , many of whom are still unaware of the change and who will have to pay the charge up to four or five times during their studies; believes the new charges run the risk of damaging the United Kingdom's long tradition of attracting students from across the World to our Colleges and Universities and therefore runs contrary to the Government's stated policy of attracting increased numbers of international students in the UK; congratulates the Edinburgh University Students' Association along with the many other student organisations across the country for their campaigns, seeking a reversal in this damaging policy and a full review of the way student visa applications are handled by the Home Office.

• Statistics on student numbers at Edinburgh University by domicile (January 2003) are given below:

Scotland	9,531	(46%)
Other UK	7,185	(34%)
Other EU	1,614	(8%)
International	2,531	(12%)

• The Government announced the new charges in a press statement on 10th July 2003.  It can be viewed using the following link www.homeoffice.gov.uk/n_story.asp?item_id=545

• On Thursday 9th October, John Barrett MP met with Sarah Nicholson, Vice President Representation and Jim Nicholson, Welfare Officer of Edinburgh University Students' Association.