Conservative Party members question visa restrictions that may damage the economy and lead to the closure of already troubled universities – the Guardian.
Influential figures in the Conservative Party are sounding the alarm over any further attempts to restrict such visas, as higher education institutions rely on overseas income and some have already had to make severe financial cuts.
Ministers earlier ordered their immigration advisers to carry out an emergency assessment of how the visa, designed to attract students to the UK, is working. The report is expected to reach the desk of Home Secretary James Cleverly next week.
The Migration Advisory Committee (MAC), which advises Cleverly on immigration measures, was ordered to carry out a rapid review of the so-called “graduate” visa in March, which allows foreign students to stay in the country for two to three years after graduation.
The minister initially said it was designed to “attract and retain bright international students.” Cleverly asked the review to look at whether some of the demand for study visas is being “driven more by a desire for immigration rather than education.” But there has been a growing backlash amid fears that the new reforms will put even more pressure on a sector already on the brink of collapse.
“Slashing the graduate route would set back important government policy priorities: global Britain, levelling up, exports, science superpower,” said Tory peer Jo Johnson, the former universities minister. “It’s hard to think of a policy more self-defeating. And for what? To lower immigration stats which international students shouldn’t be part of.
Nicky Morgan, the former education secretary, added: “Any visa abuse should be addressed, but international students are generally good for the UK’s knowledge economy and global reach, so this government needs to decide how to distinguish them from other types of migration.”
Ministers desperate to reduce the number of migrants see the issue as a dividing line in the election. Robert Jenrick, a former immigration minister who is pushing for Rishi Sunak’s tougher line, said the government should set a migration cap in the tens of thousands.
A government spokesperson said: “We are fully focused on striking the right balance between acting decisively to tackle net migration and attracting the brightest students to our universities, recognising the significant contribution they make to the UK. That’s why the home secretary commissioned an independent, expert review of the graduate route to prevent any abuse and ensure it continues to work in the UK’s best interests and attracts and retains the talent our economy needs.”
Several senior higher education figures have warned of a crisis over rising costs in the wake of the pandemic and a student fee ceiling that has not risen significantly since 2012, when it was set at a maximum of £9,000 a year. It now stands at £9,250. International student numbers have already fallen, with many vice-chancellors blaming tightened immigration rules. Some predict that some institutions will go bankrupt in the near future. Many universities are already going through waves of cuts to cope.
