India ranked second for most number of student visits to UK

Noting that India has been ranked second for United Kingdom in terms of students visiting the country for taking up courses in Universities, British Deputy High Commissioner Bharat Suresh Joshi said "some people produce fake documents and make it harder for the genuine visitors".

"We are a very open country. We want Indians to come to UK to work, to study, to travel. But equally we need to protect our borders when there is an immigration risk.

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Unfortunately, as more minority of people who do try and abuse the immigration control by producing, for example, forged papers make it harder for genuine visitors", Joshi said, on his maiden press conference after taking up the new role.

However, he clarified that the number of visas that have been rejected were not significant as 9 out of 10 Indians who have applied have been given those visas.

Observing that UK-India relationship was "extremely strong", he said in the education sector there was number of partnerships between the two countries.

"We have 40,000 (Indian) students and that is about 10 per cent of the total four lakh overseas students studying in UK. That is the second number of highest after Chinese students", he said.

Responding to a query on participation of British Prime Minister David Cameron to the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Colombo, he said, "we are very pleased that we made a decision that the UK should participate in the Commonwealth meeting as a government need to".

"Because of our respect for Commonwealth and to raise the human rights concerns to the government of Sri Lanka. And that is exactly what the Prime Minister did. He raised those issues with the Government and we believe that it is the right decision for the United Kingdom", he said.

To a query about six British Nationals who were part of the 35 member crew of the US Ship "Seaman Guard Ohio", who were detained near Tuticorin last month for alleged trespassing into Indian waters, Joshi said consular services have been provided to them.

"There have been six British Nationals being arrested part of the investigation. We are offering consular assistance. We are greatfull to the support we had from the National and State authorities", he said.

PTI

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