To minimize net migration, Rishi Sunak is considering erecting restrictions for international students who bring dependents and pursue “low-quality degrees.”
Rishi Sunak is considering a crackdown on international students who bring relatives and pursue “low-quality” degrees, as net migration has hit its highest level since World War II.
Downing Street has indicated that efforts to reduce the overall number of international students may involve erecting barriers for the families of international students and lowering admittance to lower-ranked universities.
This would be consistent with the proposals being considered by the Home Secretary, Suella Braverman, who has previously complained about foreign students “bringing in family members who can piggyback onto their student visa” and “propping up, frankly, substandard courses in inadequate institutions.”
Last year, an estimated 504,000 more individuals entered the United Kingdom than departed, a number bigger than the population of Liverpool.
The figures were prepared by the Office for National Statistics (ONS), which attributed the increase to “unique” variables such as visa options for Ukrainians and Hong Kong nationals and an increase in the number of students from outside the European Union due to the removal of COVID limitations.
According to the ONS, the highest proportion of long-term immigration of non-EU nationals, 277,000 or 39% of the total, consisted of those arriving on study visas.
The official spokesperson for the prime minister said Mr. Sunak was “completely committed” to reducing overall immigration numbers and attributed the record high to “unusual and exceptional circumstances.”
The official stated, “We are evaluating all possibilities to ensure that the immigration system is effective, which includes examining the problem of student dependents and low-quality degrees.”
Such a move might be met with opposition from other areas of Whitehall, such as the Department of Education, which could raise worries about the finance of universities if the number of high-fee-paying overseas students is reduced.
The Russell Group of premier universities told the I newspaper that high numbers of international students “should be viewed as a success story for the United Kingdom” and cited official figures indicating that 97.5% of individuals on study visas leave the country when their right to do so expires.
Preparations for a crackdown on student visas have not advanced since the home secretary stated in October that she would examine them. Instead, the Home Office is focusing on combatting minor boat crossings, or what it calls “illegal immigration.”
This year, a record number of 40 000 migrants have crossed the English Channel into the United Kingdom, compared to 28 561 in 2021.
This week, Ms. Braverman was criticized for failing to clarify the alternative safe and legal paths to the United Kingdom for war refugees seeking asylum.
The home secretary conceded during a grilling by the Home Affairs Select Committee that “we have failed to control our borders.”
She insisted, “This is why the prime minister and I are so committed to resolving this issue.”
The government intends to send migrants to Rwanda for processing to dissuade individuals from making the perilous crossing of the English Channel, but the idea has been delayed by several court challenges.
And under a recent agreement with France, the United Kingdom’s annual contributions to Paris to assist with border patrol will increase to €72 million (£63 million) in 2022/23 from €62.7 million (£54.8 million) in 2021/22.
