Page 6 - ELG2001 Jan Issue 468

El•Gazette 468.qxp_El•Gazette 468 08/01/2020 15:56 Page 6

NEWS .

Student trafficking scam hits UK

By Melanie Butler

At least 21 Vietnamese students WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
have disappeared from British
boarding schools as part of a
people smuggling scandal,
according to the Times newspaper.
Many are still missing and are
feared to be working illegally in
nail bars and cannabis farms.
Under UK law, schools whose
students go missing risk having
their license to enrol international
students revoked. So how have
they been scammed into enrolling
trafficked teenagers?
The answer appears to lie with
rogue educational agents in
Vietnam, according to the
Boarding Schools Association
(BSA), several of whose members Many trafficked students enter the UK legally, then disappear
have been caught up in the
scandal. Most traditional British paid directly by parents, to avoid have previously used the agent,
Robin Fletcher, chief executive boarding schools are not-for- the danger of agents as well as from other agents in
of the BSA, told the Telegraph profit institutions. The majority overcharging them before the the same market.
that, “a small number of criminal of their students are local UK student can obtain a visa. Once “All the rogue agent needs to
rogue agents have tried to exploit residents, and they enrol the student has arrived and do,” our source explained, “is
the system… On the very rare international students only to settled in, the agent will then be place one or two legitimate
occasions this has happened, our bolster their boarding numbers. paid the commission. In the students in a well-known school
schools have followed the proper This makes them less reliant on Vietnam cases, students for a year and then use that
procedures, reporting to the overseas agents for survival. typically disappeared half-way school as a reference. Since the
Home Office and the police.” Gazette sources with through the first term, just at referee would have had
Research by the Gazette experience in the international the point that the commission legitimate students, they would
confirms that rogue agents are boarding school market confirm would normally be paid locally. report no cause for concern.”
almost certainly involved. One that these schools are often How could the schools have Relying on schools to vet
clue is the type of school which heavily reliant on agents, paying been taken in? Again, the senior agents, we were told, created a
appears to have fallen for the con commissions of 20 per cent or manager had a suggestion. It is “hole in the immigration
trick: most appear to be for-profit more, twice the rate on offer down to UK schools having to system,” because while schools
’international’ schools and from the traditional boarding vet overseas agents. Though can be closed down for
colleges who enrol the vast sector. some schools do recruit through unwittingly letting in smuggled
majority of their students from One source, who formerly ran UK-based agents, who do the students, the agent who sent
outside the UK, largely through an international college, told us vetting, most rely on references them can simply go on
overseas agents. that termly fees are generally for new agents from schools who exploiting the system.

newsinbrief. from Gazette news editor Matt Salusbury

ISRAEL: The Council for EU: The European AFGHANISTAN: Two NORWAY: An extra 30 INDIA: Andhra UK: Learning English is
Higher Education has Parliament confirmed its captured English million kroner (£2.5 Pradesh is to phase in now taken as a sign
announced a new “Study package of emergency professors – Australian million) for Norpart English medium in “all that footballers want a
in Israel” initiative, which guarantees for national Timothy scholarships has been government schools” job in the English
aims to double the Erasmus+ exchanges, in Weeks and US national announced, enabling from November. Premier League.
number of international the event of the UK Kevin King – have been an extra 100 students a Students in the first Brazilian striker Everton
students studying in the leaving the EU without a released as part a year from eligible eight years of their Soares, whose wife has
nation’s universities – deal. The package prisoner exchange deal countries of the education will be posted Instagram clips
currently at 12,000. The underwrites Erasmus+ with the Taliban, “Global South” to taught in English in of her teaching him
initiative, which includes grants, including those brokered by US envoy study in Norway. The 15,000 government English, has reportedly
26 newly-approved to “UK participants”, Zalmay Khalilzad. The programme was cut in schools this year, with flown over for a
English-medium until 31 December 2020, two were abducted at 2016. Among those another 40,000 schools medical with – not the
degrees, will target as longs as the UK gunpoint on the Kabul advocating its to follow next year. Liverpool club with
students from North commits to paying its University campus in restoration was Crown Telugu – the state whom he shares a
America, India and EU contributions up to August 2016. Prince Haakon. language – remains a name – but Arsenal.
China. that date. compulsory subject.

6 January 2020