Today, three universities with campuses located in Camden have publicly announced a commitment to exclude the border industry from their investment portfolios. These universities are SOAS, University of London; University of the Arts, London (UAL); and London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM). This announcement follows research from student campaign network, People & Planet, which uncovered the universities’ pledge to not make direct or indirect investments in companies which are involved in the border industry.
The border industry includes companies who profit from the detention, deportation, surveillance and persecution of migrants. Campaigners say companies such as Mitie, Serco, Airbus and Accenture make billions from government contracts, giving the state the tools, technologies and militarised equipment to carry out abhorrent abuse.
This commitment follows pressure from students and staff organising with the ‘Divest Borders’ campaign, a nationwide campaign coordinated by People & Planet. Their demand called for the three universities adopt a publicly available ethical investment policy which excludes border industry companies and to fully divest from current investments in border companies within 3 years. Campaigners say universities divesting will challenge the social license of border industry companies profiting from violent practices.
In the case of SOAS, the commitment was revised to state that the university would not “directly invest in companies which derive more than 5% of revenue from owning or operating private prisons or from border industries”, thus excluding companies for whom a significant part of profits derive from border industry activities.
These victories were uncovered by People & Planet’s University League research, a comprehensive and independent league table of UK universities ranked by environmental and ethical performance. The University League also feeds into the Sunday Times’ university ranking. The 2025-26 dataset was launched this week. As a result of their commitment, LSHTM’s ranking in the University League jumped from 33 to 27th in this year’s edition, scoring 70% on the ‘ethical investment and banking’ section.
Andre Dallas, Co-Director Migrant Justice, said: “It’s truly inspiring to see students and workers taking such a stand against the scapegoating of migrating people, calling for a future built on compassion instead of cruelty. While billions of pounds are being poured into militarized borders and dystopian surveillance technologies, the growing wave of universities distancing themselves from this deadly industry is a powerful message. These institutions are choosing not to be complicit in the violence of an increasingly hostile environment, and their actions should serve as a guiding light for others to follow.”
The Arts SU Intersectional Feminism society based at UAL said: “As intersectional feminists we strive to create a welcoming and inclusive environment for everyone, including those not originally from the UK. Excluding the violent border industry from UAL’s investments is an important step in realising intersectionality and tackling unjust political complacency within the institution. It is important that we continue to challenge already established systems with the aim of dismantling them where necessary. Community is a key factor in creating long-lasting, positive change and community is rooted in inclusive environments where all are welcome.”
A SOAS spokesperson said: “We want to thank the students and staff who contributed to shaping SOAS’s new ethical investment and banking policy. Upholding human rights and migrant justice lies at the heart of our university’s mission, which is why we do all we can not to invest in companies implicated in human suffering or rights abuses. We hope this policy will encourage other universities and organisations to adopt a more ethical approach to investment.”