Immigration hurdles stifle scholars' mobility

Foreign academics find it increasingly difficult to gain entry to the UK - even to give a one-off lecture or attend a conference - it is claimed.

The accusations echo those voiced in the US, where academics have protested to Condoleezza Rice, the Secretary of State, about a series of cases of non-US academics being denied entry into the country without explanation.

In the UK, increased levels of national security have combined with fears about bogus asylum applications to stifle academic movement, the Council for Assisting Refugee Academics has said.

Tighter restrictions are being applied to foreign academics seeking full asylum rights and also to those who desire entry only to deliver a guest lecture.

Immigration experts say that it tends to be academics from countries such as Afghanistan, Iraq and Pakistan who face the biggest hurdles.

John Akker, Cara's executive secretary, said: "There are enormous difficulties with academics coming into the UK, and there is growing concern in the academic community about this.

"Even those on short visits are not immune. The president of Baghdad (University) recently applied to come to England to give a lecture at Warwick University on the plight of his institution, and it proved extraordinarily difficult to get him in."

Mr Akker said that although there were legitimate concerns about national security, restrictive entry procedures risked choking the international flow of academic ideas, which could damage institutions in developing countries and in the UK.

"There is some evidence that academics in many countries are not bothering to try to get into the UK any more," Mr Akker said. "Many of these will be key people who contribute greatly to scholarship and learning. The present situation is out of balance."

Keith Best, chief executive of the Immigration Advisory Service, which provides legal advice and representation for immigrants and asylum seekers, said academics from some countries had no chance of getting into the UK.

"Academics from countries such as Afghanistan, Iraq, Somalia, Bangladesh and Pakistan really do have the cards stacked against them," Mr Best said.

A spokesman for Universities UK, the vice-chancellors' body, said: "It is important that the mobility of academics through the academic visitor and sponsored researcher routes are safeguarded. Talented academics from around the world contribute immeasurably to the intellectual vitality of UK higher education and make a critical contribution to our international standing."

US scientific associations claim that foreign academics increasingly feel that the effort required to gain entry to the US is too burdensome,Jaccording to the Association of International Educators.

Tariq Ramadan, a Muslim scholar, was unable to take up a post at the University of Notre Dame when his visa was revoked in 2004. In June, a federal judge gave the Government until September to settle Dr Ramadan's visa status by presenting evidence for his exclusion and processing his visa application.