Warning move to cut international students would be ‘calamitous’
Reducing the number of international students coming to the UK would be “calamitous”, a senior university leader has insisted.
Suchamovecouldharmthe economy, skills and jobs, Professor Dame Sally Mapstone, president of Universities UK (UUK), has said, branding such a move “unnecessary”.
In March, Home Secretary James Cleverly asked for a review of whether the graduate visa route is “undermining the integrity and quality” of the higher education system. A report from the review isduetobereceivedbytheuk Government.
The professor, who is also principal and vice-chancellor of the University of St Andrews, said: “It is a very big issue for us. International students are incredibly important to UK culture.
“They contribute a huge amount to universities, to the economy, to skills and jobs and we think it would be a tragedy, calamitous not just for institutions but actually for the UK as a whole, if the Government took what would actually be quite unnecessary further action to restrict the number of international students.”
A government spokesperson said: “We must strike the balance between acting decisively to tackle net migration and attracting the brightest students. In December, we announced an independent expert review of the graduate route to prevent any abuse and ensure it is working in our interests.
“We are providing significant financial support of nearly £6 billion per year to the higher education sector, plus more than £10 billion per year in tuition fee loans.”
Inmarch,mrcleverlywrote to the Migration Advisory Committee to assess if the graduate visa route – which allows overseas graduates to stay in the UK for two or three years after graduation – is supporting the UK to attract and retain “the brightest and the best”. He said he wanted to ensure that the graduate route was “not being abused” and that some of the demand for study visas “is not being driven more by a desire for immigration”.
University leaders warned in February that the Government could “damage” the economies of towns and cities with policies which deter international students.