Staggering scale of abuse of Visa system revealed.
The staggering scale of abuse of the student visa system by immigrants desperate to stay in Britain was revealed yesterday.
Tens of thousands of bogus students faked English language tests to beat UK border controls, the Government admitted.
An estimated 48,000 immigrants had exploited the lax system in a ‘shocking’ scam run by criminal gangs, said Immigration Minister James Brokenshire.
He revealed there had been ‘systematic cheating’ that allowed foreigners who could barely speak a word of English to stay in the country illegally, with corrupt invigilators reading out answers or allowing gangs of imposters to sit tests so the candidates could be awarded an English language certificate.
The National Crime Agency has been called in to assist the investigation and some arrests have already been made.
It is the latest immigration scandal to rock the Home Office.
Last month the Mail revealed migrants who cannot speak English were able to buy a certificate saying they had passed a language test.
The document opens the door to British citizenship, allowing them access to a full range of benefits.
Our investigation exposed Learn Pass Succeed, which ran the scam at exam centres licensed by the Home Office.
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