The UK Border Agency yesterday decided to revoke the London Metropolitan University’s ability to validate the visas' of international students. As a result the university can no longer teach or recruit non-EU students, leaving 2000 students currently in the middle of their degrees to face the possibility of deportation from the UK.

The decision also threatens the future of the university as a whole, as Vice-Chancellor Malcolm Gillies has suggested that it could lead to a budget deficit of nearly £30m for the coming year, disrupting the studies of the remaining EU students.

The Border Agency claims the decision has been based on the university having “failed to address serious and systemic failings” that were identified six months ago. These failings included students not having leave to stay in the country, a lack of evidence that mandatory English levels had been reached and inconclusive records of attendance being kept.

In a statement released this evening CUSU said that: “The UKBA’s unprecedented decision is entirely disproportionate, and must be challenged. Thousands of legitimate students, many of whom are half way through their degree courses, have been given 60 days’ notice of their deportation, through no fault of their own.”

CUSU were also quick to point out that this decision has the potential to affect other universities in the UK, including Cambridge. New CUSU President Rosalyn Old describing it as: “part of adangerous agenda to discourage international students from coming to study in the UK."

The NUS had already condemned the action of the UKBA with President Liam Burns saying: "It is disgusting that international students continue to be used as a political football by politicians who seem either incapable of understanding, or are simply uncaring about the impact of their decisions on individuals, universities and the UK economy.”