The official statement from Daniel Cooper, ULU Vice - President and acting President. Singed by student leaders:

As officers, students and representatives of thousands of students from London HE institutions, we express our outright condemnation of the withdrawal of London Metropolitan University’s Highly Trusted Sponsor status by the UKBA, which has been announced on August 29th, details here: http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/sitecontent/newsarticles/2012/august/28-LMU-revoked1

HTS status allows the university to sponsor international students from outside the EU to study in the UK, and after much speculation, it has now been announced by UKBA that London Met's license has been revoked.

The withdrawal of HTS status at London Met represents the first case of a publicly-funded university having its license revoked.

This reckless decision by UKBA has left over 2600 international students at London Metropolitan University in an incredibly vulnerable situation. They are now unable to renew their visas, unable to start or continue their studies past September, and are faced with the option of having 60 days to either find a place to study at another HE institution or having to forcibly leave the UK.

As fellow officers and students in London, we condemn the racist, xenophobic policies of the Coalition government and of the UKBA, which are the prime cause of this shameful state of affairs. As part of their efforts to crack down on all immigrants, the UKBA has been targeting and criminalizing international students, introducing harsh systems of surveillance within universities and now taking their studies and livelihoods away. We believe this to be unacceptable: education is a right regardless of country of origin, and it is deplorable that students should be treated as criminals and manipulated in such a heavy handed manner.

This attack on students at London Metropolitan, a predominantly working class, London-based university, follows the damage wrought in the past few years by loss of public funding, financial mismanagement, privatisation and cuts to courses enforced by its management. The removal of HTS status infers yet another tragic blow to London Metropolitan University, and this cannot be allowed to go unchallenged, for the sake of its students and staff, the institution as a whole and the future of public higher education.

We stand in solidarity with all the students affected at London Metropolitan University, and with the staff who are continuing to resist the systematic attacks which have affected their institution. We support action taken by students and staff at London Metropolitan University against the withdrawal of HTS, and call on the Government to immediately reinstate London Metropolitan's HTS status, and stop jeopardizing the futures of thousands of international students who have chosen to study in the UK and are now instead faced with the prospect of deportation.

To sign the statement or press/media communications, email [email protected] or 07840136728

Signatures:

Daniel Cooper, University of London union (ULU) Vice President & Acting President
Adnan Pavel, London Met Students’ Union Vice President
Syed Ali, London Met Students’ Union Vice President
Matt Withers, Students’ Union President, Central School of Speech and Drama
Mariel Bunnage, SU Vice President (Democracy) 2012/13
Kate Roberts, President of Courtauld Students’ Union
Babs Williams, President, Queen Mary SU
Jade Lee, Vice President Education Queen Mary SU
Ellen Kiely, Vice President Queen Mary SU
Andrew Smith, Vice President Queen Mary SU
Kenneth Beneah Okwata Aruwa, Vice President (Education & Welfare), Royal Holloway Students’ Union
Jamie S Green, Vice President (Communications and Campaigns) Royal Holloway Students’ Union
Ian Stewart, Royal Holloway Vice President Student Activities
Giulio Folino, President City Students’ Union
Sean Kelly, President Kingston University Students’ Union
Alex Fulton SOAS SU Co-President Welfare and Education
Keiko Ono, SOAS Sports and societies officer
Laura Johnson, President, Education and Student Experience at Institute of Education Students' Union
Anna Foldvari, LGBT Officer, Birkbeck Student Union
Sophie Thomas, Women's Officer, Birkbeck SU
Corine Dhondee SU President London Film School
Edwin Clifford-Coupe, Education and Campaigns Officer, University College London Union
Natasha Gorodnitski, Ethics, Environment, & Operations Officer, UCLU
Ben Towse, UCLU Postgraduate Association President & UCL UCU Exec Ctte (pc)
Dante Micheaux, UCLU Medical and Postgraduate students officer
Samuel Gaus, UCLU Democracy and Communications’ officer
Abdul-Ahad Akbari, UCLU Student Activities Officer
Candice Ashmore-Harris, UCLU Welfare & International
Thomas Clayton, Kings SU President
Charlotte Richardson, Kings SU Vice President Media and engagement -Kings
Lucy Hayes, Kings SU VP Academic affairs
Kirsten Johnson, Kings SU Student activities
Shreya Paudel, President Middlesex Students’ Union
Fairooz Aniqa, Culture and Diversity Officer, University of Arts London Students' Union
Alex Peters Day, LSE Students’ Union General Secretary
Duncan McKenna Vice President Education officer, LSE Students’ Union
Jack Tindale Vice President Community and Welfare, LSE Students’ Union
Matthew de Jesus, Vice President Activities and development, LSE Students’ Union
Sam Clark, Community and Student Rights Officer, Union of UEA Students
Tama White, Welfare & Diversity Officer, Goldsmiths Students' Union
Michael Chessum | NUS National Executive Council
Mike Williamson, NUS NEC
Arianna Tassinari, NUS International students committee
Edmund Schluessel, NUS International students committee and NUS Wales NEC
Nathan Akehurst, Student Representative, Oxford University Student Union
Reni Eddo-Lodge, National Executive Councillor, National Union of Students and UCL student
Dominique Ucbas, VP Diversity & Advocacy, USSA
Leander Jones, Vice President (Democracy & Resources), University of Birmingham Guild of Students
Max Crema, Edinburgh University Vice President (Services)
Luke Frost - Maidstone Campus Officer, UCA Students' Union
Aurora Adams, International Students' Officer, NUS Scotland
Anne-Claire Deseilligny, Student President at Aberdeen University Students' Association
Kristoffer James Mendoza Canlas, College of Law
Kristian Jasper Mendoza Canlas, College of Law
Dennis Esch, NUS NEC & International Students' Committee
James McAsh, Edinburgh SU President
Ollie Cosentino, University of Birmingham, Guild of Students, Vice President (Activities & Development).
Aadam Siciid-Muuse, University of Bradford
Ioana Cerasella Chis - President of the International Students' Association at the University of Birmingham
Howard Littler, Campaigns Co-ordinator Goldsmiths Student Union
Samayya Afzal, NUS National Black Students Committee, BME Officer | University of Bradford Union
Branch Chair - Middlesex University Unison Branch
Chair of Unison London Region Higher Education Committee.
Tim Huzar, Postgraduate Students' Rep, Brighton SU
James Hughes, Vice-President (Sport) , BUCS West Midlands Student Vice-Chair
University of Birmingham, Guild of Students
Simon Furse, vice president education Birmingham Guild