Image shows a hand filling in a multiple choice exam paper [English test scandal].

Georgia Wells

Likened to the Windrush Scandal and the recent Post Office Horizon scandal, the English Test scandal has been labelled as “Britain’s forgotten immigration scandal.”

In 2014, the Home Office accused 35,000 international students of cheating in English language tests, subsequently cancelling their student visas, resulting in the deportation of at least 2,500, with thousands more leaving due to the threat of arrest.

Despite mounting evidence casting doubt on the Home Office’s accusations, ten years later, the students are still protesting their innocence.

The Home Office’s 2014 Investigation

A decade ago, BBC’s Panorama revealed the apparent widespread cheating in English language tests by international students attempting to gain or renew a student visa in the UK.

The initial investigation revealed that two London test centres were running fraudulent exams so people could falsely obtain a pass they could use to apply for a visa.

Theresa May subsequently asked the Educational Testing Service (ETS), the US company that ran the tests, to conduct an inquiry into the scale of student cheating.

During the inquiry, ETS used voice recognition technology to assess whether students hired proxy test-takers on their behalf.

After a review of 58,000 tests sat between 2011-2014, ETS concluded that 97 per cent of tests taken during this time were suspicious, potentially due to cheating.

As a result, the Home Office decided to issue a ‘blanket visa cancellation’ to 35,000 international students suspected of cheating.

How Likely Is It That 97 Per Cent Of Test-Takers Cheated?

Whilst evidence indicates some students paid individuals to fake their tests, recent and emerging evidence indicates the inaccuracy of the alleged 97 per cent figure.

Many of the test-takers came from English-speaking schools and were competent in English.

Labour MP Stephen Timms said “the figure of 97 per cent seemed absurd.”

Students Accused of Cheating

“Ten years is too long without justice”

After being accused of cheating, thousands of international students were forced to leave university, losing tens of thousands of pounds in fees.

Thousands more were deported or held in immigration detention centres.

Until 2018, the students were unable to appeal the Home Office’s accusations, and for the last decade the students have not had an “adequate opportunity to clear their name.”

The organisation Migrant Voice has been campaigning for the students since 2017. Their report details the detrimental knock-on impact the accusations have had on the students’ lives.

It found that many of the students faced a “tsunami of troubles” as a result of the allegations, leaving most unable to study in another country or travel, due to being labelled as fraudsters.

Some students have said this has had a long-term impact on their mental health, and many reported feeling suicidal.

The ordeal also left students with mounting debts.

One student, Shana Shaikh, has spent over £30,000 in legal costs to fight for her innocence and right to an education.

Ten years after their campaign launched, Migrant Voice is continuing to fight for the students. It has since renewed the call for justice with the #MyFutureBack campaign.

Britain’s Forgotten Immigration Scandal

The Home Office’s reliance on a third-party investigation has drawn comparisons to the Post Office Horizon scandal.

The English Test Scandal also coincided with Theresa May’s ‘hostile environment’ strategy, which has been blamed for wrongly targeting the Windrush generation and criticised for creating a system that was “blind to the human impact of its decision-making.”

Speaking to the Independent, Labour MP Stephen Timms said: “The English language test scandal is Windrush all over again.”

Currently, the Home Office is continuing to refuse a settlement scheme for all wrongly accused students, meaning many are still without justice.

So far, over 3,600 students have won appeals to clear their name, but this has only been achieved through lengthy and expensive legal battles. Many other students cannot afford to appeal.

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Featured image courtesy of Nguyen Dang Hoang Nhu via Unsplash. No changes have been made to this image. Image license found here.

I'm a final year Criminal Justice and Criminology student at the University of Leeds. After university I hope to pursue a career in journalism. I am passionate about tackling injustice, social and political policy, and human rights.

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