Order to halt student deportations

My Account
Logout

Create an Evening Standard Account

Use your social network

Save time by using your existing account to sign in to Evening Standard

We'll never share your information or post anything to your account without your permission

Welcome! Sign in here

Use your social network

Save time by using your existing account to sign in to Evening Standard

We'll never share your information or post anything to your account without your permission

Forgot your password ?

Registration

* indicates fields that are mandatory

Email *

Password *

Confirm Password *

First name *

Surname *

Postcode *

Country *

Mobile phone number

Username *

Gender *

Year of birth *

When you sign up...

You will have access to all our online competitions, discounted offers and can post comments on our site.

You will also receive The Weekender newsletter sent every Thursday - it’s full of fantastic offers and ideas for the weekend. You can update your email preferences in your account page when you log in.

Other newsletters and emails

Homes & Property Newsletter - Yes I want to receive the weekly email with all the latest news on property in the capital

Occasionally we would also like to send you relevant emails detailing specific offers either from ourselves or carefully selected partners. If you would prefer not to receive these then please tick the appropriate boxes below. We will never pass on your details.

I do not want to receive additional offers and information from the Evening Standard

I do not want to receive additional offers and information sent by Evening Standard on behalf of carefully selected partners

Terms and Conditions

* I have read, understood and agree to be bound by the terms and conditions of Evening Standard

Registration

Mail Sent for Registration Confirmation.

A confirmation email has been sent. Please activate your account by clicking on the activation link sent in your mail box.

A memo sent to the Border and Immigration Agency's regional directors tells them not to enforce such cases unless they are deemed to be priorities.

The order, from director of enforcement Jonathan Lindley, followed a case in which BIA chief executive Lin Homer personally intervened to halt a deportation.

Ms Homer has insisted that student cases that involve fraud or corruption will continue to result in the removal of the individual involved.

Hundreds of thousands of foreign nationals come to study in the UK each year - 309,000 in 2006 - and there are persistent concerns that some may be using supposed courses as a smokescreen for working in the country, or may stay on after their visas run out.

Mr Lindley's memo, obtained by the Daily Mail, describes a recent rule change making student overstayers automatically liable for refusal if they seek a visa extension, and remarks that Ms Homer made "critical comments" about the decision to enforce the removal of the student in whose case she intervened.

He added: "I am surprised that any of these cases have come sufficiently high within enforcement teams' priorities to merit such quick removal action.

"Please instruct your enforcement teams not to proceed with enforcing any student refusal cases unless they are deemed, at at least inspector level, to be a priority.

"Student case-working teams have been instructed not to pass any further student refusal case linked to this issue to enforcement teams."

John Tincey, of the Immigration Service Union, said: "This is an astonishing order. But this is the way the BIA is going in an era of 'risk assessment' and 'intelligence-led operations'."