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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Politics
Pippa Crerar Political editor

Home Office refuses to exempt exceptional students from tough immigration rules

The home secretary, Shabana Mahmood
The home secretary, Shabana Mahmood, suspended student visas for applicants from Afghanistan, Cameroon, Myanmar and Sudan in March, and existing applications were terminated. Photograph: Stefan Rousseau/PA

The Home Office rejected an appeal from the foreign secretary, Yvette Cooper, that would have protected outstanding students in some of the world’s most dangerous countries from changes to the UK’s immigration system, the Guardian understands.

Shabana Mahmood, the home secretary, turned down proposals from the Foreign Office to maintain a carve-out for Chevening scholars, a government-funded programme for “exceptional individuals” to study for a master’s degree at a UK university.

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