Paul James Cardwell Profile picture
Sep 18, 2020 7 tweets 3 min read Read on X
This is not a surprise when an official policy of a 'hostil environment' has been in place for 10 years. Short anecdote about the visuals to the outside world who may have little hands-on insight into this world: /1 theguardian.com/politics/2020/…
A few weeks ago I walked past a UK Visa and Immigration 'Premium Service Centre'. Parked in front were three Police-style vans with 'Immigration Enforcement'. The vans seemed to have barred windows, and unclear whether they were supposed to transport people or police dogs. /2
So, those arriving for meetings/interviews - no matter how legitimate or lawful their status - is faced with a visual representation of a hostile environment. The message seems to be: 'we're going to assume you have no right to be here and treat you as if a criminal'. /3
And this is reflected in the process and the paperwork. Difficult to complain (who wants to rock the boat when in this system?) and many UK citizens will never have direct contact with it, and so be unaware. /4
Even if you think that this is all necessary and proportionate, consider the effect the hostile environment has across the board. If the UK is trying to attract the 'brightest and the best' what does this message send? /END
p.s. Better examples of how UK immigration works in practice are given by @stand_for_all @alexinlaw @ColinYeo1 @alexandrabulat and my Strathclyde colleague @cliodiaspora
*hostile environment

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More from @Cardwell_PJ

Aug 4, 2021
Just listened to the Universities minister, Michelle Donelan, on @BBCr4today @BBCRadio4 #r4today talking about #Turingscheme. Some thoughts, in addition to my comments in the @guardian this morning: theguardian.com/education/2021… /1
Universities are being told if their bids have been successful today. The headline number is that 40,000 UK students are able to go abroad, compared with 28,000 previously under Erasmus. However, that 40,000 relates to the bids, not actual students as per the Erasmus figure. /2
Therefore, these are not like for like. When pressed about actual numbers going, she said they 'will' be going, and to 150 countries. In my opinion, this is unrealistic for several reasons and does not account for the reality of organising exchanges within such a short space. /3
Read 15 tweets
Dec 27, 2020
Lots more to say on #Erasmus and 'replacement' #turingscheme. Students in Northern Ireland may still have access thanks to the Irish government. What about Scotland or Wales? Some considerable barriers here to think about. /1 independent.ie/irish-news/nor…
Erasmus is an EU programme. It is established by a Regulation: a law covering the scope, how the programme works, funding etc over a 7 year period (2014-20). Higher Ed exchanges and Jean Monnet are the best known but also vocational training etc. /2 eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/…
Participation from non-EU states is possible (Art 24). Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein are in the European Economic Area; Switzerland needs a bilateral agreement. I assume UK would need to be listed similarly to Switzerland in the new Regulation if it wanted to be in. /3
Read 11 tweets
Dec 26, 2020
Some details about the #turingscheme as a replacement for #Erasmus are now out. Here are my initial thoughts, from an institutional and education perspective more than costs. /1
First, setting up a scheme to run in 2021 is difficult and especially for those already in degree programmes who were due to go on Erasmus placements (language students in particular). Setting up non-Erasmus agreements with Universities takes many months of bureaucracy. /2
I know because I've done this: whilst some Unis can move quickly, getting an agreement from a Uni in, say, the USA is tricky. Why? Needs to be interest from other side to receive *and send* students, which there may or may not be. Bespoke contract, Uni committees etc. /3
Read 24 tweets
Dec 24, 2020
Lots of discussion on #Erasmus, and rightly so. It is close to my heart, as a former participant (Lille, France), and the coordinator of a Uni department that expanded to take full advantage for our students (22 countries, 100+ going each year). /1
It was always a risk it would be lost, even with assurances by Johnson as recently as this year (see @AlexTaylorNews). May's 'red line' on free movement set the tone: Erasmus cannot be fully separated. I wrote as much in 2017. /2 timeshighereducation.com/blog/uk-studen… @timeshighered
As the risk of 'no deal' loomed in 2017, I returned to this theme. On both these occasions, I faced Brexiter criticism for (a) suggesting that it would/could end (b) it is not that important and (c) 'Global Britain' means students can go elsewhere. /3 prospectmagazine.co.uk/world/what-wou…
Read 7 tweets
Dec 24, 2020
As @AndrewSparrow at the @guardian points out, Johnson led Vote Leave and then wrote the following in the Telegraph after the referendum result. Line by line analysis of the key part?: /1 theguardian.com/p/fptqf/stw
"I cannot stress too much that Britain is part of Europe, and always will be."

Well, he can't change geography, but the centre of gravity in politics and economics in Europe is not in the UK, and the UK is relegated to the periphery with a very limited relationship to the EU. /2
"There will still be intense and intensifying European cooperation and partnership in a huge number of fields: the arts, the sciences, the universities, and on improving the environment."

No: no partnership and none will intensify. Env only because EU insistence on LPF? /3
Read 9 tweets
Dec 15, 2020
I have sent many students on exchange to all these countries, and to about 20 European countries covered by ErasmusPlus. A worthwhile experience for all but the idea of replacing #ErasmusPlus exchanges with Aus/NZ/Canada comes with problems: /1
First, an 'exchange' is reciprocal. So you need approx same numbers of students coming in coming as you do in going out. NZ/Canada/Aus all smaller than UK: so for this to work, all those students interested in an exchange must want to come to the UK over anywhere else. /2
Likely? Not so much. Many will want to go to non-English speaking destinations, including in Europe and Asia. UK often seen as too 'obvious' a choice in my experience. So the UK is going to be limited in scope for partnerships. /3
Read 10 tweets

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