Students protest in London over LMU licence revocation

LONDON: Hundreds of students, lecturers and supporters today staged a demonstration outside the Home Office to protest against the revocation of London Metropolitan University's licence to admit Indian and other non-EU students.

Holding placards with messages such as 'Hands off our university', 'Amnesty now: Save London Met' and 'Student rights are human rights', the demonstrators submitted a petition to the Home Office in Westminster village, seeking amnesty for current students at various stages of their courses.

LMU's licence revocation also figured in Prime Minister's Question Time in the House of Commons, with Labour MP Stephen Timms, who sought lifting the threat to deport the university nearly 2,600 Indian and other non-EU students.

Cameron said: "Having looked at this case, and looked at the action the Border Agency has taken, it does seem to me there was some real abuses going on.

"What I want to see is Britain open to students and let's be clear: anyone who can speak English and who has a university place is able to come here and study and use our universities".

He added: "But, quite rightly, the immigration minister has been very hard in terms of closing down bogus colleges and making sure good universities like this one, if they are not meeting the rules, they have to take action. That must be right if we are going to control immigration".

Meanwhile, LMU is expected to approach the High Court this week to seek a judicial review of the UK Border Agency's decision to revoke LMU's licence.

LMU has hired prominent lawyer, Robert Gordon, to take up its case.