Safeguarding Beyond Borders in Higher Education
As universities in the United Kingdom respond to financial pressures by expanding apprenticeships, international campuses, research collaborations, and online programmes, the benefits of global reach are clear. But with students increasingly located beyond the UK, a quieter challenge emerges: how to ensure their safety when they fall outside domestic safeguarding frameworks.
In 2022/23, more than 758,000 international students studied at UK universities. Meanwhile, over 700,000 students were enrolled in UK programmes delivered overseas, according to Universities UK. Many of these students participate in placements, fieldwork, or blended and online provision that separates them from campus-based services. Others return to their home countries where access to care—legal, emotional, and medical—can be fragmented or culturally constrained. This leaves safeguarding officers, wellbeing advisers, and academic support staff in uncharted territory.
Staff on the Front Line, but in the Dark
When safeguarding concerns involve students based overseas, student support staff are often the first to respond. However, many are likely to be left uncertain about how to act, particularly when there is no clear legal framework or guidance for international cases. Staff can encounter difficulties identifying safe and culturally appropriate services in other countries, often spending significant time researching local laws and support networks with limited success.
The absence of centralised resources or international referral pathways can leave staff without the tools they need to respond effectively. In high-risk cases, where students face urgent harm or lack access to local protection, the ethical and emotional strain on staff can be considerable—especially when options for meaningful intervention are limited or unclear.
Cultural and Legal Misalignment
The challenge is compounded by legal and cultural differences. In some countries, behaviours considered safeguarding risks in the UK—such as familial control, emotional abuse, or identity-based discrimination—may be legally permitted or socially normalised. In others, disclosing issues related to sexuality, gender-based violence, or mental health could expose the student to legal consequences.
These factors not only complicate referrals but deter students from disclosing concerns in the first place. Even when students do reach out, the tools available—UK-based counselling services, policies written for on-campus life—may feel out of touch or inaccessible.
When Students Return Home
Particularly troubling are cases involving international students who return to their home country—temporarily or permanently—and then report safeguarding issues. These students often fall into a grey area: technically still part of the university community, but no longer on UK soil. For staff, it raises urgent questions: Does the university still have a duty of care? What if there are no services to refer them to? What if those services pose additional risks?
The situation is particularly complex for survivors of abuse, students at risk of forced marriage or honour-based violence, and LGBTQ+ students in hostile environments. These are not hypothetical scenarios—they are increasingly common.
Responses to the Challenge
Some institutions have begun adapting. A handful have launched 24/7 helplines, created international safeguarding escalation protocols, and established networks of global support partners. Others are embedding safeguarding clauses into all overseas partnership agreements (especially in light of the impending E6 Condition of Registration under the Office for Students) or creating dedicated international safeguarding leads.
Safeguarding HE, specialising in university-sector safeguarding, have also recently developed a range of resources for safeguarding international students here.
Yet sector-wide, provision remains patchy. Many safeguarding policies stop at UK borders. Referral directories for international support services are rare. Staff often rely on informal peer networks or independent research to find solutions. A recent report by Universities UK cited a 20% increase in reported safeguarding cases across the sector, underscoring the growing need for coordinated, proactive action.
From Reactive to Strategic
If universities are serious about their duty of care, international safeguarding must be reimagined—not as a compliance issue, but as a strategic imperative.
Recommendations include:
Developing internal referral maps with pre-vetted international services for common study destinations
Training support staff on international safeguarding risks, legal limitations, and cultural sensitivities
Providing guidance for post-return disclosures, including triage protocols and partnerships with diaspora organisations or NGOs
Lobbying for a national safeguarding framework for international contexts, to provide sector-wide clarity and cohesion
Importantly, institutions must listen to student support staff. Their insights—often forged under pressure—are critical for designing realistic, compassionate, and globally attuned policies.
Redefining Duty of Care
Safeguarding in a globalised university sector can no longer be defined by geography. Whether a student is on campus, on placement in Southeast Asia, or back in their family home abroad, the risks they face are real—and increasingly visible.
What’s less clear is whether institutions are equipped to respond. Many support staff already feel stretched and uncertain; the current system often leaves them with responsibility, but not the resources. International safeguarding demands more than good intentions—it requires structure, strategy, and sustained investment. If UK universities want to be global in ambition, this can be achieved whilst also keeping students safe regardless of where they may be.
