Illegal migrants

[Vinculin]

I am a lecturer. I have found out today I must report students of mine who are illegally in the UK (enemy aliens for want of a better word). How do fellow academics, doctors, nurses, social workers (who I believe are all in the same boat, being supposed to report) deal with this? Do I truly have to breach trust?

No one in good conscience will do this

You can all just pretend you don't know

It's not 1984

It sadly is worse than 1984.

Are they claiming government funding for their courses?

Totally ignore any such requests and in no way contribute to their investigations.

My husband went to school in South London in the 90s and remembers children being collected from school by authorities (he's pretty sure it was the Home Office) and deported soon after. One was his best friend in Year 7.

All universities do, @LIZS, don't they?

Enemy Aliens? Ffs these people are neither enemies nor aliens - they are human like you and I. That's such an offensive term.

If I heard something I would forget I had heard it. You are a lecturer not a stasi informer.

Depends what funding stream they are claiming to be. Are they funded as overseas (ie paying for themselves) or home/eu? If that has been falsified then staff have a responsibility to flag it. Who verifies the documentation?

I think the OP was using that term ironically.

I worked in a role that dictated I did this. I never complied. Ignore it, it can't be enforced.

Yes fgs

Don't ask, don't tell.

I did indeed use the term ironically. They are self-funded, this is not a question of embezzling anything, it is a question of the home office (? is it them or immigration) swooping in. My outrage is that I am supposed to drop my role a mentor, teacher, cheerleader for a role of informant.

Can I though, @ChilledBee? It is my instinct to ignore.

Are they taking a place that a "legal" student could have had?

I suppose they did, @MrsJoshNavidi, on merit.

OP what exactly are you expected to do? You haven’t really explained this very well.

Are they Tier 4 students who have overstayed their visa without applying for renewal?

If they are on your CAS, the institution you work for will be in hot water if you're found to have turned a blind eye.

Ethics aside, are you not putting yourself in jeopardy by not disclosing this. I ask because when I get a lodger I have to check their right to be in UK and there is a 5 thousand pound fine if I knowingly let my room to somebody here illegally.

I wouldn't do it, would feign ignorance. It's horrible being asked to grass people up.

I am expected to escort a student not eligible to reside in the UK off the premises and inform the authorities of their presence. I used to think my role is to tutor, lecture and mentor, not report.

@Vinculin

"Do I truly have to breach trust?"
What? You have students who tell you they are illegal immigrants? Really?

We all have a responsibility to report them to the authorites. Some may live in houses of multiple occupancy in dangerous or sub-standard conditions or be trafficked for sex. Some need to be saved from unscrupulous landlords or employers.

You know what the right answer is already. Your instinct is correct.

The institution are in hot water, @which. I would still rather not report.

Everyone seems to assume this will only be poor students trying to scrounge money from UK gov.

One of my uni friends (here legally for undergrad) was somehow deported back to a posh town in upstate New York during his masters. Not sure on funding for masters but he was paying around £25k a year for the undergrad alone, from his trust fund. I have no idea how he ended up being deported (seemed rude to ask!) but was sad we lost such a lovely, brilliantly intelligent guy.

I don’t know what I’d do in your position, OP, but I don’t envy you.

I would like to live in s country that takes a proactive and sympathetic stance towards refugees.

That’s not the same as letting people overstay their visas.