Report of the APPG on TOEIC
Report of the APPG on TOEIC
The APPG on TOEIC had its inaugural meeting on 5 March 2019. It sought to represent students whose visas have been refused, revoked or curtailed due to allegations of cheating on the TOEIC test based on the evidence provided by ETS. Migrant Voice provided Secretariat support to the APPG between March 2019 and the December 2019 General Election.
The APPG held four hearings in June 2019. The evidence taken in these hearings forms the substance of the July 2019 report, which was written by Migrant Voice and sheds light on a number of issues relating to the response of the Home Office to the Panorama documentary broadcast in February 2014.
The report's recommendations:
1. There must be no further detentions or forced removals of students accused of cheating in a TOEIC test;
2. People who lost their visas because ETS accused them of cheating should be allowed to sit a new, secure English language test, and, if they pass, their previous visa status (or today’s equivalent) should be restored without charge, valid for at least 12 months;
3. The immigration record of every person who passes the new test should make clear that the allegation of cheating no longer stands;
4. Higher and further education institutions should be advised that the TOEIC allegation, and related issues such as a break in studies, should be wholly disregarded in assessing applications from these students;
5. A working group should be established to support students and facilitate their return to study, to support those on work or entrepreneur visas to find new jobs or restart their businesses, and to monitor this support process, with representatives from Home Office, UKVI, Department of Education, Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, UCAS, relevant third sector and student support organisations, and students themselves;
6. Financial support should be provided to enable students who lost their fees as a result of a TOEIC allegation to complete their studies;
7. The Home Office should work with High Commissions in relevant countries, including Pakistan, Bangladesh, and India, to ensure that those who have returned home or been forcibly removed are informed about these arrangements.
TOP IMAGE: Chair of the APPG on TOEIC Stephen Timms MP and APPG members Martyn Day MP and Afzal Khan MP with affected students at a demonstration outside Parliament in January 2019 (Migrant Voice)