Strict immigration policy soon
Says British high commissioner
The UK will tighten its immigration policy soon in a bid to stop illegal migration from all over the world, the British High Commissioner to Bangladesh said here yesterday.
The United Kingdom Border Agency (UKBA) will take necessary measures towards achieving that, Robert Gibson said.
He, however, said the UK would always welcome genuine immigrants, genuine students, and genuine business people from any country.
In a reply to a question, the envoy said there was a strong education link between Bangladesh and the UK, with thousands of Bangladeshi students going to his country for education every year.
But the British authorities will practice a strict policy in taking students since 417 colleges have already been closed for not maintaining quality during recent years, he said.
Each year 4,00,000 foreign students enroll in UK institutions, Gibson said, adding that the UK prefers that genuine students contact reputed and quality educational institutions.
On a visit to Sylhet, the British envoy was addressing a press conference at the Visa Facilitation Service (VFS) office.
He said the UK visa service had improved further with the introduction of quick and easy application process.
In Bangladesh, about 70 percent of applicants were successful last year, and a visa decision is now given in 15 days for non-settlement cases while it takes 12 weeks for settlement cases, he added.
Mentioning that the UK had been an active development partner of Bangladesh for long, he said relations between the two countries would be strengthened further in future.
Sylhet especially has a different attachment with British people and the authorities through the huge diaspora community in the UK, he said.
The high commissioner also met Sylhet city Mayor Badar Uddin Ahmed Kamran and Divisional Commissioner ANM Zeaul Alam at their offices yesterday.
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