Overseas student route a back door to Britain | Migration Watch UK

Migration Watch UK has challenged the call by 70 University Chancellors, in a recent letter to the Prime Minister, for overseas students to be taken out of the migration statistics. This would achieve nothing except to destroy public confidence in the government’s immigration policy while any significant expansion of foreign students could blow the government’s […]

MW258 : Migration Watch UK Summary of ‘Strategic Review of the Student Visa Program 2011’ Conducted by Mr Michael Knight for the Australian Government | Migration Watch UK

Introduction 1. In 2010, the Australian government requested that a strategic review be carried out of the Student visa programme with the aim of ensuring that the system was “well positioned to respond to current and future challenges.” The review examined and made recommendations on, amongst other things, managing migration risk and ensuring that compliance […]

Comment on the National Audit Office report on student immigration | Migration Watch UK

Today the NAO published a report into the student immigration system. Commenting, Sir Andrew Green, Chairman of Migration Watch UK said: “The NAO have lifted the lid on a scandal to which we have been pointing for several years. This report is a shocking indictment of the student visa system introduced by the previous government. The NAO […]

MW254 : British Council Report on Student Visa Changes | Migration Watch UK

Migration Watch comments Introduction 1. On 9th February 2012, Professor Jo Beall, Director of Education and Society at the British Council, spoke on the BBC Radio 4’s Today programme about a report issued by the Council which examined the experience of Australia and the United States in tightening their visa restrictions for students. She suggested that changes […]

The British Council Report on Student Visas | Migration Watch UK

The British Council drew exactly the wrong lessons in their report on the student visa systems of Australia and the United States. That was the conclusion of an examination by Migration Watch. The British Council report, publicised by an interview with the Today programme on 9 February, suggested that we should learn from American and Australian […]

MW253 : An Overview of non-EU Students to the UK II | Migration Watch UK

Scale 1. The number of non-EU students has increased dramatically since 2000. The International Passenger Survey asks migrants who declare an intention to stay for longer than 12 months their main reason for coming to the UK. The results for non-EU respondents are shown in figure 1 below. 2. It has been suggested that students […]

Response to the Institute of Directors on Student Immigration Reforms | Migration Watch UK

In response to the statement issued by the Institute of Directors on the student visa reforms Sir Andrew Green commented: “The Institute of Directors’ statement is deeply misleading and self serving with an arrogant disregard not only for public opinion generally but also for the 20% of recent British graduates who are still unemployed. It is particularly absurd […]

Response to Home Office Statement on Student Visas | Migration Watch UK

Today the Home Office issued a statement on planned changes to the student immigration route to which Universities UK responded. Commenting, Sir Andrew Green said: “With 20% of recent British graduates unemployed it beggars belief that Universities UK want still more foreign graduates to be able to stay on and work. These new regulations need […]