International students at British universities are “anxious and stressed” that their future here could be put in jeopardy because of the lecturers’ strike.
The National Union of Students has received dozens of calls from worried members who fear lectures missed during the strike will be flagged up as “unauthorised” and affect their visas.
Universities that sponsor visas must monitor students’ attendance and report them to the Home Office if they miss 10 consecutive classes. The Home Office says it is up to universities to decide which absences to report.
The NUS is now calling on all universities to issue an official declaration that international students will not be penalised for missing lectures during the strike period.
Yinbo Yu, NUS international students’ officer, said: “There is confusion and a lack of communication. A lot of international students are anxious because they haven’t received adequate reassurance that their absences won’t be considered as unauthorised.”
He said some were confused about whether lectures were going ahead during the strike, so may have also missed alternative classes arranged during the period.
He added: “Many are worried about their future. Conditions for visa monitoring are now so stringent that unauthorised absences can have severe consequences. Students could even have visas revoked. Hardly any universities have put out information about monitoring attendance during the strike, which is exacerbating anxiety.”
NUS president Shakira Martin said most students were supportive of the strike but many were anxious about the impact it could have on their results.
She added: “There is particular anxiety amongst international students, who are concerned that missed lectures will be treated as unauthorised absence as per their visa requirements.”
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University staff across Britain walked out for 14 days this year in a dispute over pensions. The NUS estimated 180,000 students in London could have been affected, amounting to 115,000 lost teaching hours. Some universities are extending coursework deadlines and rewriting exam papers to make sure students are not disadvantaged.
