LMU licence remains revoked: UK

LONDON: As the high court granted a reprieve to current Indian and other non-EU students at the London Metropolitan University ( LMU), immigration officials said the university's licence to admit and teach them remains revoked.

The high court has allowed 359 Indian students and over 2,000 other non-EU students at the university to continue their ongoing courses, while permitting LMU to seek a judicial review of the revocation of its licence by the UK Border Agency (UKBA) on August 29.

A UKBA spokesperson said after the court ruling: "London Metropolitan University's Tier 4 sponsor licence remains revoked. London Metropolitan has failed to get its sponsor status restored and the judge has not granted interim relief".

"UKBA agreed to allow existing genuine students to continue studying at the university until their course has ended or the end of the academic year, whichever is sooner -- as long as they meet the right standards.

"But students who are here illegally and do not meet our immigration criteria will not be allowed to stay," the spokesperson added.

The UKBA said revoking LMU's licence was the "right course of action" and that it will continue to fight their challenge at the full hearing.

Friday's ruling was the start of the legal process and not the actual judicial review, the LMU said, and added that an agreement has been reached to enable existing and new international students about to start their course to do so with the assurance that they will be able to complete their current academic year or their course, whichever is the sooner.