Russian Oligarchs using UK fee paying schools

[Chocalata]

Is this really such a big thing as the papers make out? I quizzed friends with DC at boarding school and it really doesn't sound like there are many Russian children in their schools at all. I feel quite bad for any Russian children that are at the moment, it must be quite terrifying to be alone in a boarding school in another country, even if your parents are potentially money laundering and financially supporting an atrocious invasion.

@Ketchupman
Well then surely the MP's should be criticising the schools for their lack of due dillegence and not blaming the Russian parents many of whom are innocent of anything apart from wanting a nice UK education.

Poor kids. Imagine how they must be feeling.

Tbf there a millions of poor Russian dc back in Russia who live in extreme poverty because oligarchs have plundered the state.

Without too many specifics, if a school has 10 children from Russia boarding at say £10k per term, if they start checking the source of all funds then those 10 children will go elsewhere at a cost to the school of £300k per annum or £1.5m over a five year school period. There aren't the UK pupils to fill those spaces. A school is not going to alienate the parents they rely on.

[quote Chocalata]@mynameiscalypso I think things have changed since our day though haven't they? My boarding school was awash with Arab princes who parents made enormous donations here there and everywhere every time one of them got caught dealing drugs. But there are very stringent checks now on sources of money. I just don't think you can launder money at a private school.[/quote]
I think that's an incredibly naive view. Billions of pounds is laundered through the UK economy every single year. The legal rules and obligations (which don't apply to schools in any event as they are not regulated for money laundering purposes) are not fit for purpose as it is. Wilful blindness is an issue. If you have enough money, you can structure your donation so it appears totally clean and passes the superficial checks.

Many of the Russian super rich are resident in London and have children at day schools. Bodyguards either in school or outside the gates.

www.thetimes.co.uk/article/dirty-cash-pays-fees-at-top-private-schools-280mql8k8

I don't have a share token

[quote Chocalata]@Pennox but that doesn't mean they are Oligarch's children does it? There are plenty of Russians protesting about the invasion. Not all rich Russians are in favour of what Putin is doing (and many are seriously scared of him of course so will say nothing.)[/quote]
It’s quite hard to be that rich and also have freedom to travel, in Russia, unless you’re in with the regime.

You don’t really need this explained to you, do you?

Yeah the middle classes have actually shrunk in Russia. Moving to the UK & paying private school fees at the top schools is unlikely to mean you are a middle class Russian

[quote Chocalata]@Ketchupman
Well then surely the MP's should be criticising the schools for their lack of due dillegence and not blaming the Russian parents many of whom are innocent of anything apart from wanting a nice UK education.[/quote]
You really are banging on about all these “innocent” yet wealthy Russian parents who despite opposing the regime have £££££££s and exit visas. Read something. Speak to someone. Then come and discuss it.

@chairbumg But that isn't the fault of the children over here stuck in boarding schools is it? Imagine how awful they must feel. Their mental health must be dreadful, they must feel like everyone hates them. But they are blameless.

Hypocrisy at its finest.

They’ve been quite happy to accept this money until now, if not in full knowledge of, at least aware of where much of it has come from, and now is suddenly the time to become insensed over it

Either money laundering is wrong, or it’s not. Not just when it transpires that Russia wants to invade somewhere else.

@ThymePoultice
So what do these schools need to do to sort it out? Should these children be sent home? At least they will feel better there? I just think the fault lies with the schools not the children. And potentially some of the parents, I take posters points that you have to be seriously rich these days as a Russian to provide schooling over here, but not all of them are going to be engaged in illegal activities.
How did we even get to the point when UK society turns a blind eye at fee paying schools not checking parents' finances properly so that they can line their pockets. Where is the outrage about that. The Russian parents wouldn't do it if was not an easy option.

You really are banging on about all these “innocent” yet wealthy Russian parents who despite opposing the regime have £££££££s and exit visas. Read something. Speak to someone. Then come and discuss it. but the children are innocent. And let’s not pretend that these schools have suddenly found out where this money has come from. Anyone with half a brain knows that most of the wealth coming out of Russia is hardly come by through honest graft.

But they’ve been quite happy to accept this money up until now. And now they’re suddenly insensed that this money was probably laundered? Come on.

@chairbumg
Thanks for sharing that, I don't have a subscription.

@Chocalata I'm not saying they are, but in terms of war casualties I wouldn't say potentially losing your school place is the worst that can happen.

@AlternativePerspective So should there be an independent investigation in to these schools then?

And absolutely the UK economy has been wrong to turn a blind eye to all the money laundering

Now it's coming back to bite us but the oligarchs & their families will be fine.

@chairbumg Neither am I, but I am aware that mental health in older children and teens can lead to some pretty awful consequences. And to not have family over here to support them through feeling so hated must be pretty hard.

@AlternativePerspective

You really are banging on about all these “innocent” yet wealthy Russian parents who despite opposing the regime have £££££££s and exit visas. Read something. Speak to someone. Then come and discuss it. but the children are innocent. And let’s not pretend that these schools have suddenly found out where this money has come from. Anyone with half a brain knows that most of the wealth coming out of Russia is hardly come by through honest graft.

But they’ve been quite happy to accept this money up until now. And now they’re suddenly insensed that this money was probably laundered? Come on.

Yes, completely happy to agree that children are, by definition, innocent, and that schools are motivated to be somewhat craven.

However OP’s insistence that 1 ) they’re probably aren’t many Russian children in U.K. schools and 2) that there are plenty of Russian multi-millionaires who aren’t “oligarchs” or in with Putin, is quite honestly madness, and it’s getting grating.

S/he’s just throwing everything at the wall to see what sticks.

There^

Many Russian people resident here do so because they don't want to live in Putin's Russia!

[quote Chocalata]@chairbumg But that isn't the fault of the children over here stuck in boarding schools is it? Imagine how awful they must feel. Their mental health must be dreadful, they must feel like everyone hates them. But they are blameless.[/quote]
While I do feel sorry for the children I think it’s the right decision. The more consequences there are for all Russians the more likely that at some point putin is going to be ousted.

@Chocalata I'm not sure why you think anyone is hating Russian children though?

@ThymePoultice
Sorry, my mind is a bit peculiar, I am just trying to work out what I am thinking. Posters assure me that there are many more Russian children in our schools than my friends with DC at boarding school make out
So my thinking right now is -
First. If there are children of dodgy Russians in these schools, why are MP's only dealing with this now? surely they were aware before? And I don't just mean Tory MP's - there must be an awareness that schools are being used to launder money.
Second. What is being put in place for these children right now. They are innocent. How are they feeling? If the schools are found wanting, are they going to have to leave, and how will that feel to them?
Third. What happens going forward? How do we clean up the schools?