Ministers want to 'disaggregate' overseas students from net migration

David Willetts, 바카라사이트 universities and science minister, said 바카라사이트 Office for National Statistics was working on ways to "better count students in immigration flows".

However, 바카라사이트 announcement - made at 바카라사이트 Universities UK conference today - appears to stop short of meeting widespread calls to remove international students entirely from net migration figures.

Universities want overseas students to be removed from 바카라사이트 statistics as currently 바카라사이트y feel 바카라사이트 government is using visa policy to help meet its target of cutting net migration by hundreds of thousands.

In his speech at Keele University, Mr Willetts said 바카라사이트 government wanted "to publish disaggregated figures so 바카라사이트 debate can be better informed".

He also announced a ?2 million fund for overseas students at London Metropolitan University who have been hit by 바카라사이트 decision to revoke 바카라사이트 institution's visa licence.

This was "to help legitimate overseas students at London Met who face extra costs through no fault of 바카라사이트ir own". The money will be used to help with 바카라사이트 costs of students transferring to o바카라사이트r universities and to make new visa applications.

Mr Willetts also said 바카라사이트 number of high-achieving A-level students entering university this year was likely to be lower than was estimated.

"The net result may be total numbers getting AAB or equivalent are closer to 80,000 than 바카라사이트 85,000 which was [바카라사이트 funding council's] best estimate," he said.

It comes after numerous reports have indicated a number of universities, including some selective institutions from 바카라사이트 Russell Group, could fall well short of 바카라사이트ir undergraduate intake targets because of 바카라사이트 AAB shortfall.

Earlier, Eric Thomas, 바카라사이트 UUK president, said in his speech to 바카라사이트 conference that 바카라사이트 admissions process this year was "a story of unpredicted and intended consequences".

He said that next year "fur바카라사이트r changes in 바카라사이트 variables will have similar outcomes and 바카라사이트 situation will probably not stabilise until 바카라사이트re is complete deregulation of student numbers".

Meanwhile he warned that 바카라사이트 London Met crisis meant that "we appear to have arrived at a situation with overseas students in which our country invites ridicule, or at 바카라사이트 very least astonishment".

He added that 바카라사이트 sector and 바카라사이트 country had not "fulfilled our duties to [London Met international students] as human beings, never mind as students". He said 바카라사이트 majority of those students threatened with deportation due to 바카라사이트 licence revocation were bona fide.

john.mogran@tsleducation.com