Campaign Update: The Situation at LSE
Despite the Students Not Suspects Campaign (SnS) Motion not passing at the Union General Meeting several weeks ago, it was decided that the Union, international officer and the sabbs would still use the campaign to inform and advise incoming and current students about the points based system and the immigration cap, to allay concerns and empower students to campaign against the government’s proposals.
Lucky for LSE students, the situation with the points based system and implications for students studying at LSE is not as challenging as it may be at other institutions. Because LSE has a very effective and well regulated registration process (both at entry to LSE and throughout the year in classes), there is no need to partake in the matriculation of specifically international students. The rule is for all, if you skip 2 consecutive classes, you get an automated email, threatening the barring of that particular course, if you do not contact your tutor to explain why you missed your class. This relatively strict and watchful system means that all students are closely monitored for academic purposes, and further matriculation is unnecessary.
Bearing this in-mind, LSE applied for “Highly Trusted Status” from the UK Border Agency, so that it would not have to engage in further monitoring in the future. With thanks to LSE’s registration system, LSE was recently awarded this status, so international students are protected against further monitoring, which would obviously be highly discriminatory.
Whilst the campaign has no internal battles to be fought at LSE, the campaign will evolve by showing solidarity with other universities who experience more challenging circumstances, as well as the wider student movement and NUS, to raise awareness of the implications of the Points Based Immigration System. Also, the campaign will seek to involve students in lobbying government against its proposals, through a diversity of tactics – through writing to MPs and protesting.
Daniel Kroop, the Post-Graduate sabbatical, Charlotte Gerada, the General Secretary and Michael Lok, the International Officer, will be taking a lead on the campaigning activity, and will seek to engage students in campaigning in the new year.
For more information, please email:
Su.postgrad@lse.ac.uk
Su.generalsecretary@lse.ac.uk
Su.international@lse.ac.uk