LONDON: Britain is to tighten the rules on immigrants entering Britain on a student visa, the government said on Sunday in a clampdown on a system which some security experts say has been exploited by militants.
Home Secretary Alan Johnson said the crackdown was part of a wider campaign against immigrants who apply for student visas even though they intend to work.
The tighter controls could also help to tackle security concerns over militants who enter Britain ostensibly to study.
Analysts have warned for years of a threat from militants based at British universities, including foreigners on student visas.
A senior Pakistani official in London accused the British government last year of failing to cooperate with the security screening of Pakistani nationals trying to study in Britain.
The issue climbed back up the political agenda last month when it emerged that the Nigerian man accused of plotting to blow up a passenger plane over Detroit tried to re-enter Britain last April to study at a bogus college.
Johnson’s department said the changes were drawn up before the alleged Christmas Day attack and are part of a wider campaign to keep a closer eye on overseas students. “We will come down hard on those that flout the rules,” Johnson said.
