Originally published in the Guardian on 2 June 1977
Language teachers representing nearly 40 private schools have started monitoring an apparent rise in the number of Home Office letters to their overseas students demanding personal details, including bank statements and whether they qualify for military service. The teachers, who are backed by the National Union of Students, fear that the Home Office is covertly cutting student numbers by this method and are angered at the officials' prying. They say over the last six months there has been a considerable increase in the letters, sent out at the discretion of officials when students apply for visa extensions. The Home Office denies this but has no figures on the number of letters sent.
One, sent to a Japanese student, includes questions on the future jobs or studies students intend to follow when they leave the country; whether they have done military service or when they will; details of close relatives living in Britain and "How do you occupy yourself when you are not studying at the school?" Other questions cover what the required hours of day-time study are at the college and a detailed request asking who will be sponsoring the student from abroad, how much money will be received and how often it will be sent. The letter ends: "Please answer those questions fully. Failure to do so and to provide the documentary evidence requested may prejudice your application adversely. However, the fact that these enquiries are being made does not imply that an extension of stay will be granted."
Mr Mick Randall, studies director of the Marble Arch Intensive English School, London, said yesterday that there had been an increase in letters recently brought to the attention of teachers. He said students affected did not tend to be only those from Third World countries or Latin-America. More recent examples included Polish, Spanish and an Austrian student. Ms Nicky Harman, a teacher at another London school, said teachers in Cambridge, Brighton and Bournemouth were also becoming alarmed. "Our language teachers' branch of the General and Municipal Workers' Union, which represents between 30 and 40 schools, recently passed a resolution to keep a central monitor of all letters sent to students so we can find out what is happening."
The Home Office said regulations required it to ascertain why students wish to continue their studies here and whether they have enough money to live on. There had been no tightening up of the immigration laws and no standard letters exist, each enquiry being tailor-made to the applicant.