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Bogus student visa applications have caused a drop in public confidence behind the immigration system, the home secretary has said.
Theresa May told MPs the government will clamp down on those foreign students who sign-up to bogus English language courses in a bid to gain entry to the UK.
An alliance of 16 vice-chancellors from universities had written to the home secretary, calling on her to abandon plans to restrict the number of visas and to impose strict English language requirements.
Speaking during Home Office questions in the Commons, May insisted that genuine students will still be welcome.
She said that settling in the UK was a "privilege to be earned, not an automatic add-on to a temporary way in".
"This government has pledged to break the link between temporary migration and permanent settlement," the home secretary told MPs.
"It's perfectly clear that, sadly, all too many people have used the student visa route as a means of simply coming to the UK to work."
May highlighted examples where colleges had been set-up "in name only", one having 940 students supposedly being taught by just two lecturers.
She added: "That sort of abuse needs to be stopped, but we want to ensure legitimate students coming to legitimate courses at legitimate institutions can come here."
Ben Bradshaw (Lab, Exeter) called for assurances that concerns from universities and language schools would be heard, amid fears that changes to the student visa system would impact them negatively with students being put off studying in the UK.
He told MPs: "Reputable language schools say the proposals as they stand would be devastating to their sectors and to our economy as a whole"
In response immigration minister Damian Green said "We are speaking to many universities, listening to representations.
"When our proposals are put forward they will defend the right for legitimate students to come here."
Green added: "We will at the same time crack down on the huge widespread abuse there has been of the student visa."
The minister did acknowledge the concerns from university leaders, in a letter to the Observer, over the plans of pre-degree level colleges offering English-language courses.
He said: "We need to strike the right balance so the brightest and best students can come to this country and benefit this country, both in the short and long terms.
"At the same time we need to crack down on the many, many abuses of the student visa system which we saw under the previous government and which led to the widespread lack of confidence in our immigration system."
In other exchanges, Conservative Edward Leigh asked what further steps were planned to take to control illegal immigration.
The Gainsborough MP said he often is approached by constituents who want to marry somebody from abroad and "it's only right and humane that we should try and help them".
However, he said the role of an MP is made "trebly difficult" by the existence of sham marriages, making the system more bureaucratic for genuine couples.
Green said the police and UK Border Agency investigations into suspected fake weddings last summer saw 53 operations with 126 arrests.
The minister assured the chamber: "We are becoming ever more effective at closing this particular loophole."
On the recently launched government crime-mapping website, Oliver Colville (Con, Plymouth Sutton and Devonport) asked what representations had been received from members of the public.
The policing minister said the coalition hoped to build on the success of the website, www.police.uk, which shows how many offences have been committed in particular streets.
He said that since its launch five weeks ago, it has received almost 400 million hits.
Herbert told MPs the site was a "strong example" of the commitment to greater transparency in public services, with plans to release further information.
He said: "Six trail-blazing police forces are looking at how this can be done, including looking at how we can provide sentencing outcome information so the public would know not just that the crime was committed, but what happened afterwards in the criminal justice system."
Alun Michael (Lab, Cardiff South and Penarth) said anti-social behaviour orders (Asbos) had been "an invaluable part of the toolkit".
Herbert said the problem is that Asbos have been used less and "breached in increasing numbers".
He said the "better-tailored" will ensure the "civil standard of proof exists which makes them easier to obtain, but equally can put in place positive requirements to break patterns that may lead to anti-social behaviour and crime".
Shadow policing minister Vernon Coaker called on the government to defend its plans to ditch Asbos for a "weaker, rebranded" version.
In response, Home Office minister James Brokenshire said the simpler sanctions will provide a "more effective suite of tools".
Brokenshire told the Commons: "We are clear existing powers remain in place until such time as a new regime is introduced.
"However, we are very focused on it being practical in supporting communities, having the effect people want to see and bearing down (on) anti-social behaviour and the crime that can lead from it."
Simon Hughes (Lib Dem, Bermondsey) asked what assessment had been made of the trend in levels of complaints against police forces in England and Wales.
May said Police complaints statistics from the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) show an 8 per cent increase and that it is "important police accountability is a top priority".
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