.UK 'ignored' warning on bogus students
British High Commission officials in Pakistan have been accused of failing to investigate bogus students entering the UK. Dr David Gosling, the UK-born head of Edwardes College, Peshawar, told the Observer newspaper that officials had ignored specific evidence that students were entering Britain on false papers.
Ten of the 12 men arrested in the UK this month for allegedly plotting bomb attacks were Pakistanis who entered Britain on student visas. They were released without charge but now await deportation.
Immediately after the arrests, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown had said Pakistan "has to do more to root out terrorist elements in its country". Wajid Shamsul Hasan, the Pakistani high commissioner in London, had retaliated by saying that the problem was "at your end".
Dr Gosling said in December last year he sent details of students who had obtained bogus visas to the British High Commission in Islamabad but was still waiting for a response. "The high commission is either turning a blind eye or just cannot cope with violations of visa protocol by local students. They do not appear to have taken my complaints seriously and have not responded to my specific requests to investigate these students since last December."
"When officials in Islamabad realise that something has gone wrong they try to cover up for the sake of the people involved. But the system appears to be a mess."
Gosling last autumn interviewed a student who admitted that he and a friend had gone to Britain under false pretences. He asked the high commission to investigate their cases.
Gosling said he knew many of the people at the high commission and believed that it was no longer functioning properly. "There do seem to be major problems in Islamabad. Many of the staff are now working in Abu Dhabi because of the regularity of bomb threats. We have bomb threats at our college as well, but we ignore them," he said. "I am concerned about these few fraudulent cases because I want to see the good students going to Britain and the bad ones held back."
He said he had decided to speak out because the Pakistan high commissioner was roundly condemned by ministers last week for pointing the finger at the British High Commission.
In a statement to the House of Commons, Jacqui Smith, the British home secretary, admitted that the students from Pakistan had been interviewed only by telephone by officials based in Abu Dhabi. One of those entered with forms that were not properly filled out.
Chris Grayling, the shadow home secretary, told Observer that Pakistan and other countries from which potential terrorists regularly try to enter Britain would be placed on an international blacklist.
But Dr Brian Iddon, vice-chairman of the parliamentary all-party group on Pakistan, warned: "I don't want knee-jerk reactions. America tightened its controls and the academic institutions regretted it. I don't think we should tighten it up to the point where they start going to other countries. ... There are future benefits in terms of trade and the economy. We have to be very careful we are not over the top."
DailyMail
Ten of the 12 men arrested in the UK this month for allegedly plotting bomb attacks were Pakistanis who entered Britain on student visas. They were released without charge but now await deportation.
Immediately after the arrests, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown had said Pakistan "has to do more to root out terrorist elements in its country". Wajid Shamsul Hasan, the Pakistani high commissioner in London, had retaliated by saying that the problem was "at your end".
Dr Gosling said in December last year he sent details of students who had obtained bogus visas to the British High Commission in Islamabad but was still waiting for a response. "The high commission is either turning a blind eye or just cannot cope with violations of visa protocol by local students. They do not appear to have taken my complaints seriously and have not responded to my specific requests to investigate these students since last December."
"When officials in Islamabad realise that something has gone wrong they try to cover up for the sake of the people involved. But the system appears to be a mess."
Gosling last autumn interviewed a student who admitted that he and a friend had gone to Britain under false pretences. He asked the high commission to investigate their cases.
Gosling said he knew many of the people at the high commission and believed that it was no longer functioning properly. "There do seem to be major problems in Islamabad. Many of the staff are now working in Abu Dhabi because of the regularity of bomb threats. We have bomb threats at our college as well, but we ignore them," he said. "I am concerned about these few fraudulent cases because I want to see the good students going to Britain and the bad ones held back."
He said he had decided to speak out because the Pakistan high commissioner was roundly condemned by ministers last week for pointing the finger at the British High Commission.
In a statement to the House of Commons, Jacqui Smith, the British home secretary, admitted that the students from Pakistan had been interviewed only by telephone by officials based in Abu Dhabi. One of those entered with forms that were not properly filled out.
Chris Grayling, the shadow home secretary, told Observer that Pakistan and other countries from which potential terrorists regularly try to enter Britain would be placed on an international blacklist.
But Dr Brian Iddon, vice-chairman of the parliamentary all-party group on Pakistan, warned: "I don't want knee-jerk reactions. America tightened its controls and the academic institutions regretted it. I don't think we should tighten it up to the point where they start going to other countries. ... There are future benefits in terms of trade and the economy. We have to be very careful we are not over the top."
DailyMail
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