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The UK government is considering reducing immigration, which could affect the ability of international students to study in Britain.
LONDON – Foreign students who want to study in Britain may be turned away unless they get a place at a “top university,” The Times newspaper reported.
Ministers were reportedly discussing how to reduce the flow into the UK after record levels of net migration were reported on Thursday.
According to the report, there will also be restrictions on how many family members students are able to bring into the country with them. The rules will only apply to overseas students who do not already live in the UK
According to the Office for National Statistics on Thursday, around 1.1 million people arrived in the UK in the year to June, around 560,000 people emigrated in the same period, and net migration was a record 504,000 people.
The reported plans to stop foreign students from studying in Britain appear to go against the government’s international growth strategy from 2019, which was designed to increase the number of international students studying in the UK each year to 600,000 by 2030.
That target was achieved in the 2020/21 academic year when 605,000 non-UK students enrolled in higher education, according to the Higher Education Statistics Agency.
According to the government’s website, the strategy was originally put in place to “support the UK education sector to access global opportunities”.
A Home Office representative said there would be no comment on “speculation” surrounding the idea that foreign students could be barred from entering the UK.
However, it drew a statement from Home Secretary Suella Braverman, who said it was “understandable” record numbers of people had traveled to the UK in light of the war in Ukraine, migration to Afghanistan and the crackdown on rights in Hong Kong. But the British public “reasonably expects” migration to decrease over time.
“This level of migration has put pressure on housing and housing supply, health, education and other public services. We must ensure that we have a sustainable, balanced and controlled approach which is why we continue to keep our immigration policies under review,” Braverman said. said. In the statement.
“My priority remains to stop the increase in dangerous and illegal crossings and the abuse of our system. It is vital that we restore public confidence and take back control of our borders.”
The Conservative government has launched a series of initiatives after pledging to reduce net migration to the UK in its 2019 manifesto, including its controversial plans to deport migrants to Rwanda and a deal with France to target small boat crossings.
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