Yvette Cooper MP Labour’s Shadow Home Secretary, commenting on a Panorama investigation finding that student vistor visas are being abused by people working in the country illegally, said

“This investigation shows Theresa May is presiding over a failing immigration system which too often focuses on the wrong thing and where illegal immigration is a growing problem.

"We have warned Theresa May repeatedly that short term student visitor visas which have weak checks are being abused. We have also told her that thousands of warnings about false students are not being followed up by UKBA.

"The Home Secretary extended short term student visitor visas and ignored their abuse because they aren’t included in her net migration target - and yet she is discouraging genuine graduate students, who are included, even though they bring in billions of pounds of investment.

"Theresa May promised she would tackle bogus students but allow the brightest and best to study in the UK. Yet once again, the rhetoric doesn’t match the reality. Instead abuse is getting worse, whilst genuine international graduate students are being put off.

"The danger of having such a weak system which is so easily and brazenly exploited is that it is unfair, undermines public confidence - and also makes it harder to maintain support for the graduate migration we need.

"Theresa May needs to get a grip and put things right - this is a system she created and assured everyone it was working.”