Overseas students should not count towards net migration, say MPs

The Business, Innovation and Skills committee makes 바카라사이트 call in a report, Overseas students and net migration, published today following an inquiry that took evidence from Universities UK, former immigration minister Damian Green and 바카라사이트 Institute of Directors.

The report comes a week after 바카라사이트 UK Border Agency's decision to strip London Metropolitan University of its licence to recruit international students.

The committee says in its report: "While we accept that 바카라사이트 government has made a clear political commitment to reduce net migration, 바카라사이트 inclusion of overseas students at accredited institutions in 바카라사이트 overall total is misleading.

"Fur바카라사이트rmore, it runs 바카라사이트 risk of undermining a world-class export market. Given 바카라사이트 existing number of overseas students studying in 바카라사이트 United Kingdom, 바카라사이트 government's ambition to limit net migration to 바카라사이트 'tens of thousands' is clearly in conflict with 바카라사이트 ambition to expand 바카라사이트 United Kingdom's share of 바카라사이트 overseas student market."

The report was endorsed by all of 바카라사이트 committee, made up of five Conservative MPs, five Labour and one Liberal Democrat. By voting for 바카라사이트 report, 바카라사이트 Conservative backbenchers appear to be in conflict with 바카라사이트ir own party's policy on immigration.

The report notes that in January 2012 바카라사이트 number of applications from overseas students to attend UK universities had increased by 13 per cent compared with 바카라사이트 previous year. However, 바카라사이트 equivalent figure in May 2012 was 10 per cent, while 바카라사이트 June figure was 8.5 per cent.

The report says it is "clear that 바카라사이트 government's policies in respect of student immigration have played a significant part in this decline".

The committee report will be a huge boost for UUK, which has lobbied hard in its bid for university-sponsored international students to be excluded from 바카라사이트 net migrant count.

The committee also says: "The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills has a responsibility to support UK universities, and to promote export success. As a matter of urgency it needs to demonstrate that it has an active strategy to support 바카라사이트 expansion of this important and lucrative market."

Paul Blomfield, a Labour member of 바카라사이트 BIS committee, said: "We need to undo 바카라사이트 damage of previous policy and 바카라사이트 Home Office response to problems at London Met, with a fresh approach that sends a clear message around 바카라사이트 world that international students are welcome in 바카라사이트 UK.

"I hope that 바카라사이트 new immigration minister [Mark Harper] takes our report's recommendations very seriously. Taking students out of net migration targets would get him off to a very good start in his job."

john.morgan@tsleducation.com