International students featured in Financial Times

International students featured in Financial Times

On 18 January 2019, the Financial Times published an in-depth study of the injustice facing tens of thousands of international students who were wrongly accused of cheating on an English test known as TOEIC by the Home Office in 2014.

The story was written by Robert Wright, a journalist who first covered the issue in May 2018, and features the stories of several of the affected students as well as supporters of the campaign, including Migrant Voice Director, Nazek Ramadan, and Stephen Timms MP.

“At the time I had the accusation, I was 24,” Wahidur Rahman is quoted as saying in the article. “Now I’m 29. That’s the prime time of someone’s life to navigate where you go. At that time, I’ve been struggling to cross my name out of this allegation. At the time we’re supposed to make our life, we’re struggling with this.”  

Amin spoke about suffering from anxiety ever since 12 immigration officials burst into his house on 5 February 2015 and told him he would be removed from the UK that night. 

He also talked about the impossibility of escaping the situation by simply going home. Having decided to do just that and applied for a job in Bangladesh, the plan was quickly derailed when the employer asked if he had ever faced any legal problems.

"As soon as I told them, they said, "Sorry, we won't help you any further."'

Stephen Timms MP said that the government's treatment of the accused runs "contrary to all principles of natural justice".

Nazek Ramadan described how the experience of meeting many of the students affected "shook me".

"I'm questioning, 'Is this really a democracy? Is this fairness, justice?'"

The story was also published in print in the Financial Times Saturday magazine on 19 January.

Read more about Migrant Voice's My Future Back campaign to win justice for the students here.