Rishi Sunak Plans Curbs On Foreign Students To Control Migration: Report - NDTV

UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak volition beryllium considering "all options", including reducing the fig of overseas students, successful his bid to bring down the rising nett migration successful the United Kingdom, according to a report by the BBC.

Mr Sunak volition beryllium looking into imposing curbs connected overseas students pursuing alleged "low quality" degrees and bringing successful dependents, the study said, quoting a Downing Street spokesperson. The spokesperson did not, however, specify what is simply a "low quality" degree.

The UK government's concerns for rising migration person been acceptable disconnected by the latest Office for National Statistics (ONS) figures this week that showed a immense leap successful the fig of migrants. Net migration to the UK roseate from 173,000 successful 2021, to 504,000 this twelvemonth - an summation of 331,000.

International students, particularly Indians who took implicit the Chinese for the archetypal clip to marque up the bulk of pupil visas, were a large contributor to this spike.

"We're considering each options to marque definite the migration strategy is delivering. The premier curate is afloat committed to bringing wide numbers down," Mr Sunak's spokesperson had said connected Friday.

But controlling the fig of migrants by restricting the fig of overseas students presents a tricky task. British universities thin connected higher fees from planetary students to offset the money, they suffer by charging British students a little fee, with immoderate universities adjacent risking bankruptcy if restrictions were imposed connected alleged low-quality degrees, the study said.

An Indian community-led students' organisation connected Friday urged the authorities to region planetary students from the country's migration statistics. "Students who are successful the UK temporarily, should not beryllium counted arsenic migrants. International students, of which Indians are the biggest cohort, bring a nett gross of GBP 30 cardinal into the British economy," said Sanam Arora, Chair of National Indian Students and Alumni Union (NISAU) UK.

The Sunak authorities has promised to chopped nett migration successful the UK with India-origin Home Secretary Suella Braverman earlier complaining astir Indian students overstaying successful the country. "I person concerns astir having an unfastened borders migration argumentation with India due to the fact that I don't deliberation that's what radical voted for with Brexit. Look astatine migration successful this state - the largest radical of radical who overstay are Indian migrants," she had said.