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A rare positive start to the week: in the aftermath of Migration Watch’s recent paper on the staggering abuse of the student visa scheme, the government has announced a crackdown on student visas.
While the proposed changes are slight, it is a sign that even this tone-deaf, incapable, incompetent government can’t avoid facing reality – eventually. But, let’s be grateful for small mercies. Preventing foreign nationals in the UK on student visas from claiming asylum is a start. Let’s see when, if ever, it happens.
Some may wonder why students could claim asylum to begin with!
Absurdly, previously there was no income requirement, and applications could be submitted as soon as the asylum seeker had been granted asylum. Now, the ability of asylum seekers to immediately bring family into Britain has been paused while legislation is passed to bring in minimum residency and income requirements. Again, a sensible change – why did it take so long to do?
The biggest reward of all would be restricting the ability of the 2,300,000 people after 2029 from obtaining Indefinite Leave to Remain status, which would entitle them to access Britain’s incredibly generous welfare system: free health care, Universal Credit, prioritisation for social housing, and Motability, amongst others. This represents a net cost to the British taxpayer of hundreds of billions of pounds over the lifespan of that cohort.
Now, let’s see some backbone and realism for changes that will lead to meaningful reductions in the numbers coming.
We need caps on international students coming to low-order universities, on those coming to work for low salaries, and of course visas for dependants who will never be net contributors.
And for goodness’ sake, let’s go back to vetting people before we give them permission to come. Bring back interviews!
This is a preview of Migration Watch’s free weekly newsletter. Please consider signing up to the newsletter directly, you can do so here and will receive an email copy of the newsletter every week as soon as it is released.