Islington College students have walked out of class to protest changes to the government’s immigration rules.
More than 60 people left classes at City and Islington College on 17 November to oppose spiralling visa costs; a lack of financial support for asylum seekers in higher education; and the removal of work visas for international students.
The 10.30am walk-out, which was followed by a rally outside the main college building on Blackstock Road, was part of ‘Students4Migrants’, a national campaign to mark International Student’s Day.
Student Union president, Daniel Nikolla, who organised the event, said: “Every day, refugees, migrants and international students face some new kind of law or regulation that they didn’t realise they would encounter.
“It makes people feel unwelcome and under attack.”
The UK-wide event was organised by the National Union for Students and saw students from universities such as King’s College London, Oxford and London School of Economics taking part.
At City and Islington College, a mix of international and home students were joined by Cllr Caroline Russell as they rallied for 45 minutes, holding banners.
They also held a minute’s silences to mark the Paris atrocities and to remember others who have lost their lives to acts of terror.
Daniel, an Albanian international student at the college, said people moving to the UK can be “hit out of the blue” by changing immigration rules.
Featured and gallery photos: Daniel Nikolla
