Thread by @UnisNotBorders

From today's @thetimes, where migrant students might be barred from @RussellGroup institutions in order to bring down net migrant statistics.

Typical dog & whistle discourse used to marginalise migrant students. We've seen this many times before.

Short 🧵#UCURising #UCUstrike

Mid-2000s the discourse of the 'bogus migrant student' took hold of the UK right-wing media, making outrageous claims that *all* migrant students were illegally entering the UK on student visas. @UKLabour responded by instituting the first forays that started #HostileEnvironment.

When @GordonBrown was PM, he started the points based immigration system (PBIS) that ushered in immigration checks in universities on migrant student *and* staff. In 2009, SOAS Management used these checks to break apart the migrant-led @SOASJ4C campaign, deporting 9 activists.

Thanks to the in-roads @UKLabour made, the coalition gov (@Conservatives + @LibDems) ran with it & implemented further immigration checks in a variety of different areas (house, NHS, workplace, etc) that became known as the #HostileEnvironment policy.

Since then, immigration checks whether on or off campus have become even more pernicious as they have largely become invisible to British staff, but very visible to those who are migrants. Likewise, with the end of free movement, EU citizens experience #HostileEnvironment too.

And since 2018, @UnisNotBorders has provided strike solidarity materials explaining #HostileEnvironment to migrant students & staff, linking it to workplace conditions & the marketisation of higher education.
Example enclosed.
Access materials here: linktr.ee/urbc

Frank talk ⏲️, while there are @ucu branches that have consistently support @UnisNotBorders work, special out to @BirminghamUCU @sussexucu @BirkbeckUCU, many others ignore engaging with migrant students by intersecting immigration + marketised education together.

It was disappointing that on one of the @manmetucu pickets, we were prevented sharing our strike materials. IDK why we got this reaction, esp given another reps support of our work @org4edu. Thankfully a @UNISONmmu rep came & showed support for our work & took photos w/ us.

Not picking on any 1 @ucu branch, but if you are *only* translating UCU strike materials in Chinese *without* linking to their issues as migrant students (ex: hostile environment, tuition fee rises, marketisation, etc), it comes off as just odd & frankly rather discriminatory.

Discriminatory in that your @ucu branch believes Chinese students are the *only* migrant student population, but not engaging with some of the issues they & other migrant students face, which include homelessness, health issues, racism on/off campus, lack of disability support.

We want @ucu to be successful with the current #UCUstrike. For that to happen you need to engage with @UnisNotBorders in creating better strike materials geared towards migrant students that aren't tokenistic & marginalising, particularly given the current direction of gov, atm.

CORRECTION -- this decision by the gov will affect non-Russell Group unis as they intend to limit UK institutions that are not "world-leading" or the top of rankings to sponsor migrant students. Worrying for many post-92 institutions: @UCUNUbranch @BrightonUCU @kingstonucu