Brussels, 06/02/2014 (Agence Europe) - The Romanian government complained to the European Commission on 6 February after the United Kingdom decision to suspend some grants and loans to students from Romania and Bulgaria. A letter sent to Education Commissioner Androulla Vassiliou and Justice Commissioner Viviane Reding calls for “clarification on whether this decision complies with EU legislation” to ensure it does not discriminate against Romanians. The British government announced in November 2013 that it had suspended student loans for Romanian and Bulgarian students due to the high rise in requests from young people in the two countries. The UK says this is a precautionary measure to allow the potential students to prove they are eligible to receive the loans. It points out that all students residing in the UK are required to provide extra information before they receive upcoming student loan instalments. The Romanian government spoke of the concern of Romanian students that they are being discriminated against vis-à-vis their colleagues from other EU member states, who are only covered by these rules if they attend one of the handful of private universities. The controversy comes at a time of virulent anti-immigrant rhetoric in the UK in the countdown to the next general elections. This escalated in January 2014 when the UK lifted restrictions on Romanian and Bulgarian workers, as the media and some British politicians raised the spectre of an imminent influx. (IL/transl.fl)