Experts have expressed concern about UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s proposal to limit the number of international students admitted to the country’s universities. After net migration reached a record high of 500,000 this year, largely due to visas granted to non-EU students and their dependents, Sunak has proposed plans to reduce the number of international students and their family members entering the UK.
Indian citizens received 1,17,965 student visas in the fiscal year that ended in June 2022, up 80,569 (215%) from the previous year. 4,86,868 sponsored study visas in total were approved, up 71% from 2019. The PM’s deputy spokeswoman said when asked if the PM was considering a ban on foreign students entering the UK: ‘We are, of course, carefully examining these numbers and will be exploring all alternatives to make sure that the immigration system is benefiting the British people. That involves taking a closer look at the problem of dependent students and subpar degrees’.
The head of the UK government’s migration advisory council, Professor Brian Bell, cautioned that restricting foreign students would bankrupt British universities. ‘ British students cost most colleges money to teach, so they make up the difference by charging more for overseas students. I’m not sure how the institution will exist if the international route is closed. Would you be ready to drastically raise the fees British students must pay to make up for the losses? ‘,he informed BBC Radio 4.
In the year ending June 2022, sponsored study visa holders received 81,089 dependent visas, a rise of 65,042 and a 405% increase over 2019. The Russell Group, which is made up of 24 prestigious UK institutions, is led by Tim Bradshaw ‘The fact that students from all over the world attend our universities is advantageous for the UK. Limiting or restricting that resource would be a bad idea since it would hurt regional economies and go against the government’s stated policy on foreign education’.
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