[Houseboy]

The main problem here seems to be that these "students" come here by paying (a good thing for the economy) but then some of them (unfortunately an amorphous figure that no-one seems to be able ascertain) decide, either before they get here or after they arrive (again, as usual, nobody seems to know), that they are well placed to "disappear" into the black labour market (black as in economy not as in racial terms of course). The difficulty is that if we have got their money it doesn't matter if they don't turn up but we are still left with the problem of illegally entering (or at least staying in) the country but, more importantly, the loss of places to British kids at these universities.
Whilst the problem of illegal immigrants is important I think it is more shameful that talented British youngsters are missing places because of it. I am of course assuming that by the time the universities realise what has happened it is too late to offer the places out to others as they will be well under way.