‘Treated like a criminal’: Nepali student wrongly detained at UK border loses uni place

Sulav Khadka was interrogated and held in custody despite providing proof of his place and finances

An international student who flew to the UK to take up a university scholarship was detained at the border and held in custody for 12 days after being unable to answer detailed questions about his course.

Sulav Khadka said he felt as though he had been treated like a criminal" by Border Force officers who accused him of being a fake student after he landed at Manchester airport in October. The 23-year-old, from Nepal, had a valid visa, proof of his university place and paperwork showing he had paid his first year's fees in full. But, on arrival in the UK, he was interrogated about intricate details of his course, including being asked to list the titles of the six modules he would be studying.