Bssf On Situation Of Sikh Students From Abroad

[B.S.S.F]

The British Sikh Student Federation would like to address the issue of Sikh/Punjabi Students who have came from Punjab being "banned" for taking part in the Langar at a number of Gurdwaras across the UK. Woolwich Singh Sabha is a Gurdwara which the Federation have received information regarding this bazaar move of the Gurdwara committees.

Southall Singh Sabha has come out in the media to say that it can help with food but not provide accommodation.

How can a Gurdwara committee ban Sangat from taking part in langar? If you do not have a few pounds in your pocket are you supposed to miss the langar or go back home to get the money?

The main reason for this increase is the number of students coming to the UK is the new points based system that was introduced in April of this year. This has made it easier for Visa "Agents" in Punjab to identify which documents are required to make somebody eligible for a Student Visa by attaining false papers if genuine papers at not held by the applicant.

The Visa agents can charge up to £6,500 pounds for a married couple to apply for a student visa on which the primary applicant is a student and is capped to work only 20 Hours per week and the secondary comes as a dependent and can work unlimited hours. The whole idea of getting a student visa is just to get to the UK to work, but many are unaware of the 20 hour rule!

Many students are requesting for help to get back to Punjab as they have realised that there is no point in staying the UK. Only if they had listened when they were told in the first place!

It is vital for Sikhs living in the UK to inform their family and friends that due to the recession there is no point in them coming to the UK even if they get a genuine work Visa, let alone a Student Visa as there is hardly any work for people in this country.

The British Sikh Student Federation will be confronting the Woolwich Singh Sabha Gurdwara committee on its unacceptable stand and will demand an apology from the Gurdwara Committee instantly.

Harinder Singh

Media secretary

British Sikh Student Federation

[Matheen]

Good move, please keep us updated. Langar is for all.

The problem lies with the High Commissions in India - they used to ask for evidence that you had enough money to support yourself throughout the course without working, and check it too. It seems they're not doing that now.

[jalandharsingh]

Looks like they are getting shafted in India as well. I thought the UK Border Agency had put a stop to these dodgy 1 room colleges but from adverts I have seen some are still thriving and making a kings ransom in fees.

Try telling anyone in Punjab about problems finding jobs and they think you are putting them off out of jealousy.

Visa refusal by UK puts students in financial mess

Prabhjot Singh

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, December 2

Since their hopes of studying in the UK have been ruined by the refusal of the student visa to them by the British High Commission, hundreds of prospective students from Punjab and Haryana are finding themselves in a deep financial crisis.

Reports of Indian students living a miserable life in Britain notwithstanding, hundreds of students from Punjab and Haryana are applying for admission to British colleges every day. Visa refusal and then failure to get the refund of the fee paid by students in advance are putting applicants under stress.

British colleges are refusing to refund the tuition fee — varying between Rs 3 lakh and Rs 4 lakh — on the plea that students are not sending back the visa letters issued to them by the institutions.

Prospective students have now started questioning as how British institutions can hold back to their money for reasons beyond their control. They alleged that crores of rupees with the British colleges belonged to the people, who had no chance to go there now.

They further alleged that after the refusal of a visa without an interview, there was no provision for an appeal.

However, British colleges are maintaining that they cannot refund the fee deposited by the prospective student till he/ she returns the original letter of offer for admission, usually described as visa letter. Each applicant has to attach the same with his/ her visa application form.

Normally, after the visa application has been processed, all attached documents are returned to the applicant. But students, who have been refused the student visa by the British High Commission during the past few weeks, did not get back this original visa letter back with their passports. And of late, the refusal rate, allege students, has gone up to 90 per cent.

“It is a huge money which the British colleges are holding back and preventing us to use our money for trying our luck for admission elsewhere,” allege a group of students who got their refusal letters last week.

“No one is ready to listen to us or explain why our original letter is not being returned to us. How can we ask for refund when we do not have this letter? We are caught in a piquant situation,” allege students.

Sources said over a 1,000 applications for the student visa are filed every day. The British had simplified procedure for the student visa. An applicant with plus two qualification and with Rs 5 to 8 lakh in his/her bank account for 28 days or more was eligible to apply for the visa after getting admission to a British college.

They said the college required the applicant student to deposit full year’s tuition fee before it issued a letter of offer for admission or visa letter, which facilitated the grant of a visa to the applicant.

Good move, please keep us updated. Langar is for all.

The problem lies with the High Commissions in India - they used to ask for evidence that you had enough money to support yourself throughout the course without working, and check it too. It seems they're not doing that now.

Maybe these 'students' are furnishing fake details or just showing they have x lakh in savings to cover the study and stay in england and then as usual not bringing any money over as the streets in england are lines with gold.

[UKGupt Kaur]

The British Sikh Student Federation would like to address the issue of Sikh/Punjabi Students who have came from Punjab being "banned" for taking part in the Langar at a number of Gurdwaras across the UK. Woolwich Singh Sabha is a Gurdwara which the Federation have received information regarding this bazaar move of the Gurdwara committees.

Southall Singh Sabha has come out in the media to say that it can help with food but not provide accommodation.

How can a Gurdwara committee ban Sangat from taking part in langar? If you do not have a few pounds in your pocket are you supposed to miss the langar or go back home to get the money?

The main reason for this increase is the number of students coming to the UK is the new points based system that was introduced in April of this year. This has made it easier for Visa "Agents" in Punjab to identify which documents are required to make somebody eligible for a Student Visa by attaining false papers if genuine papers at not held by the applicant.

The Visa agents can charge up to £6,500 pounds for a married couple to apply for a student visa on which the primary applicant is a student and is capped to work only 20 Hours per week and the secondary comes as a dependent and can work unlimited hours. The whole idea of getting a student visa is just to get to the UK to work, but many are unaware of the 20 hour rule!

Many students are requesting for help to get back to Punjab as they have realised that there is no point in staying the UK. Only if they had listened when they were told in the first place!

It is vital for Sikhs living in the UK to inform their family and friends that due to the recession there is no point in them coming to the UK even if they get a genuine work Visa, let alone a Student Visa as there is hardly any work for people in this country.

The British Sikh Student Federation will be confronting the Woolwich Singh Sabha Gurdwara committee on its unacceptable stand and will demand an apology from the Gurdwara Committee instantly.

Harinder Singh

Media secretary

British Sikh Student Federation

I hope you do not mean woolwich Gurdwara at 1 calderwood street.!! I have seen for myself non-sikhs having regular langar there and have not heard of a ban of any sorts. Please respond here or by pm and I will call the pardhan immediately.

[UKGupt Kaur]

I have spoken to someone who attends woolwich gurdwara calderwood st woolwich and been told that he saw around 20 students having langar and have not heard of any such ban.!

[manni007]

THIS MAKES ME SO ANGRY,ONE OF THE FUNDAMENTAL ROLE OF A GURDWARA IS TO PROVIDE FOOD AND HELP FOR ALL, THESE XXXX GURDWARA COMMITTE MEMBERS BAN THESE POOOR PEOPLE FROM FOOD ADN ACCOMODATION, ISNT THAT AGAISNT WHAT THE GURUS PREACHED? WHERE IS THE LOVE AND COMPASSION???

MANY OF THESE SO CALLED FRESHIES, I LIKE TO SAY APNE FROM INDIA ARE MUCH BETTER SIKHS THAN THE BRITISH BORN SIKHS, ADN ARE THE ONES WITH THE LOVE TO DO SEWA REGULARLY AND STAND UP TO MUSLIMS WHEN REQUIRED!

THESE COMMITTEES SUCK!

BSSF DO SOMETHING AGAINST THESE HYPOCRITE COMMITTE MEMBERS WHO DRINK SMOKE AND WHO ROB THE GURDWARA OF MILLION SO POUNDS EVERY YEAR BUT DOTN WANT TO FEED THEIR OWN? HMMMMM THEY 4GOTTEN WHERE THEY COME FROM?

COMMITTE WALLE ANGREZ DI AULAD NAI HUN!

[UKGupt Kaur]

THIS MAKES ME SO ANGRY,ONE OF THE FUNDAMENTAL ROLE OF A GURDWARA IS TO PROVIDE FOOD AND HELP FOR ALL, THESE XXXX GURDWARA COMMITTE MEMBERS BAN THESE POOOR PEOPLE FROM FOOD ADN ACCOMODATION, ISNT THAT AGAISNT WHAT THE GURUS PREACHED? WHERE IS THE LOVE AND COMPASSION???

MANY OF THESE SO CALLED FRESHIES, I LIKE TO SAY APNE FROM INDIA ARE MUCH BETTER SIKHS THAN THE BRITISH BORN SIKHS, ADN ARE THE ONES WITH THE LOVE TO DO SEWA REGULARLY AND STAND UP TO MUSLIMS WHEN REQUIRED!

THESE COMMITTEES SUCK!

BSSF DO SOMETHING AGAINST THESE HYPOCRITE COMMITTE MEMBERS WHO DRINK SMOKE AND WHO ROB THE GURDWARA OF MILLION SO POUNDS EVERY YEAR BUT DOTN WANT TO FEED THEIR OWN? HMMMMM THEY 4GOTTEN WHERE THEY COME FROM?

COMMITTE WALLE ANGREZ DI AULAD NAI HUN!

I can tell you that Woolwich Gurdwara (1 calderwood st) committee has done no such thing.

[jalandharsingh]

THIS MAKES ME SO ANGRY,ONE OF THE FUNDAMENTAL ROLE OF A GURDWARA IS TO PROVIDE FOOD AND HELP FOR ALL, THESE XXXX GURDWARA COMMITTE MEMBERS BAN THESE POOOR PEOPLE FROM FOOD ADN ACCOMODATION, ISNT THAT AGAISNT WHAT THE GURUS PREACHED? WHERE IS THE LOVE AND COMPASSION???

MANY OF THESE SO CALLED FRESHIES, I LIKE TO SAY APNE FROM INDIA ARE MUCH BETTER SIKHS THAN THE BRITISH BORN SIKHS, ADN ARE THE ONES WITH THE LOVE TO DO SEWA REGULARLY AND STAND UP TO MUSLIMS WHEN REQUIRED!

Yes of cause these freshies are great, I have lost count of the number of marriages they have broken so they can find a women who can give them indefinite leave in UK by marrying them. I know of others who rent property from Gurdwara and bring prostitutes to these houses. How great they are...they are up there with Massa Rangar as he used to bring prostitutes to Gurdwara property. There have even been cases of these freshies trying to pick up girls at gurdwara. Also they tell lies as if they were representing india in a olympic competition to see who can tell the most lies. They are also very patriotic to India and have forgotten abut 84 as if it was a fairy tale.

[UKGupt Kaur]

The British Sikh Student Federation would like to address the issue of Sikh/Punjabi Students who have came from Punjab being "banned" for taking part in the Langar at a number of Gurdwaras across the UK. Woolwich Singh Sabha is a Gurdwara which the Federation have received information regarding this bazaar move of the Gurdwara committees.

How can a Gurdwara committee ban Sangat from taking part in langar? If you do not have a few pounds in your pocket are you supposed to miss the langar or go back home to get the money?

The British Sikh Student Federation will be confronting the Woolwich Singh Sabha Gurdwara committee on its unacceptable stand and will demand an apology from the Gurdwara Committee instantly.

I have spoken to the pardhan of Woolwich Gurdwara 1 calderwood st a min ago. He has confirmed that there is no such langar ban on anyone of any race or religion. He has asked British Sikh Fedaration to either call him or meet him at the Gurdwara to discuss this claim.

I sincerely hope that a public retraction together with an apology will be given to Woolwich Gurdwara of 1 calderwood Street.

[SikhRoots]

Sounds like B.S.S.F. is chatting B.S. ...