While Michael Fallon visits India the issues of immigration, especially regarding falling number of Indian students in India lingers on. UK has included students into the net immigration number that the country is trying to cut down.
Chancellor Philip Hammond during his visit to India, in the beginning of April said, “There is no doubt that there is a perception in India that Indian students are somehow being impeded from going to the UK.
“There is no quota, no limits, no restrictions on Indian students applying to British universities. Ninety percent of Indian students who apply for a student visa get a student visa.”
But in reality the Indian students feel unwelcomed in the UK. Their number fell by 50%, resulting from the drastic changes in the visa rules. The government is now proposing more changes to the system, which may deter them further. The Conservative government has already scrapped the Post Study Work (PSW) visa that allowed foreign students to gain UK work experience for 2 years after completion of a degree course. It also helped them to pay back hefty loans they have taken to come and study a course that cost them minimum £20,000 as tuition fee.
By 2025, eight million young people will be moving from their home country to go to the University- a vast economic opportunity for the UK. This flawed visa rule means Britain's share of the international market is actually declining, with Australia and Canada pulling out all stops to attract more students. Though 81% of Britons agree that foreign students have a positive impact, 57% support excluding them from immigration targets.
Rohan Silva in his Evening Standard column wrote, “To make a success of Brexit, UK needs to build on our country's strength, not undermine them. That means making it easier for our universities to complete globally in the fast-growing market for foreign students, which would be good for the economy- and command public support too.”
