Genuine international students are of distinct economic benefit to the country.
There is no cap on the number of genuine students who can come to study in the UK, neither is there a cap on the number who can switch into work if offered a skilled job.
Applications from non-EU students to study at UK universities have increased by 17% since 2010 and applications to Russell Group universities have increased by 47%.
In 2012 extensive reform of the student route was introduced to tackle abuse. Since then around 900 bogus colleges have been closed.
Exit checks, recently introduced, show that 97% of those who should have left in 2015/16, did so on time but they also showed that large numbers are extending for further study, work or for family reasons - 60,000. Some of these will eventually add to our population.
Students should therefore continue to be included in the net migration statistics, as indeed is the case for all our major competitors.
