The National Audit Office (NAO) has launched a formal investigation into the Home Office's handling of allegations that approximately 34,000 international students cheated on English language tests. The probe will scrutinise the evidence behind the accusations and the subsequent cancellation or curtailment of student visas.
More than 1,000 students have been removed from the UK as a result, and hundreds have been detained. However, many students claim they were wrongly accused, with over 300 cases pending in the Court of Appeal. MPs have warned that the scandal could be 'bigger than Windrush'.
The investigation follows a 2014 BBC Panorama documentary that exposed cheating in two test centres for the Test of English for International Communication (Toeic). The Home Office concluded that 34,000 of 58,458 students who took the test between 2011 and 2014 had definitely cheated, with a further 22,600 having 'questionable results'. Only 2,000 were deemed definitely innocent.
Campaigners have questioned the plausibility of such a high proportion of cheaters. Stephen Timms, Labour MP for East Ham, welcomed the NAO's decision, hoping to find out why 'so many innocent students have been treated so disgracefully'. Nazek Ramadan of Migrant Voice described the investigation as 'an important step on the road to justice', noting that many students remain destitute and suffering from severe mental health issues.
A Home Office spokesperson said they have been supporting the NAO's work and will consider the findings once published. The NAO is expected to report in late May or June.
