Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many international students arriving on a student visa are detained and then released and (a) are eligible to register in their course or (b) have to return because they have missed the registration deadline each year.

Border Force does not hold the data in an easily accessible format on those detained and subsequently released on grounds they held a valid visa, student or other

However, the Home Office published data on how many people are detained or returned on gov.uk. The latest publication can be found at: How many people are detained or returned? - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)’

The Immigration Rules require all arriving passengers to establish their eligibility for admission. Every passenger’s passport or national identity card is checked electronically and there are also times when extra checks are conducted. Whilst this means on occasions arriving passengers, including some students, are held up by Border Force, these checks are necessary in order to maintain a safe and secure border. In some instances, individuals without the necessary immigration permission for the activities that they intend to undertake in the UK may be refused permission to enter at the border, which makes them liable for detention

The Home Office does not routinely offer compensation but in case of maladministration, will consider ex-gratia payments where a customer has suffered a financial loss. In addition the Home Office can also consider making consolatory payments where maladministration has caused a customer exceptional embarrassment or inconvenience. Each case will be considered taking full account of the customer’s individual circumstances

It may also be helpful to have the link to the Home Office complaints procedure which can be found on Gov.uk website: Complaints procedure - Home Office - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)