After Teesside University expelled several Nigerian students over unpaid tuition fees — when the value of their home currency crashed — the UK Home Office has ordered them to leave the country.
Following the collapse of the Nigerian naira, which wiped out the savings of some students, Teesside said it had "no choice" but to terminate the students' enrollment, because tuition payments are part of student visa requirements.
This egregious mandate is bringing innocent students to suicidal thoughts. After years of paying on time and attending classes, honest and hardworking individuals are being deported due to economic factors completely out of their control. To make things worse, the government is forcing students to leave even if they've made new payment plans with the university.
While instances like this may seem harsh at first glance, the Home Office can't afford to loosen its student visa rules at a time of rampant abuse of the system. Whether it be tuition payments, sufficient English proficiency, or passing background checks, the government has a duty to its citizens to maintain high immigration standards.