Difficulties in obtaining visas for family members to visit the UK are increasingly likely to deter academics and students from settling in the country, scholars have warned.
While a rise in postgraduates bringing dependants with them has been blamed for recent record high immigration figures, those working or studying in British universities said that they have been left separated from loved ones during difficult times, exposing the reality of the UK’s “hostile environment” immigration system.
Lea Ypi, professor of political theory at the London School of Economics, said that her brother had been unable to visit from her native Albania for 14 years after being rejected for a visa and then deciding against reapplying because, as a young Albanian man, he knows he is almost certain to be denied entry.
