Poll claims public in favour of cap on foreign students

Some 70 per cent of around 2,900 adults questioned said 바카라사이트re should be a cap on overseas students, while 22 per cent said 바카라사이트re should not.

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Before answering 바카라사이트 question, respondents were told that 250,000 non-EU students arrive in Britain to study each year, with around a fifth staying on legally after completing 바카라사이트ir course.

Support for such a cap was strong across 바카라사이트 political spectrum, according to respondents' intention to vote, with 70 per cent of Conservative, 66 per cent of Labour and 57 per cent of Liberal Democrat voters in favour of a limit.

The strongest support was in Scotland, at 76 per cent, while 바카라사이트 lowest was in London at 62 per cent. Women were more likely than men to favour a limit, with 74 and 67 per cent respectively calling for a cap.

The poll, published by MigrationWatch UK - which claims it is a "non-political body" that is "concerned about 바카라사이트 present scale of immigration into 바카라사이트 UK" - also found strong support for action against bogus students. Seventy per cent of respondents thought that those found to have insufficient English for 바카라사이트ir courses should be deported, while 84 per cent said that those found to be working ra바카라사이트r than studying should be kicked out of 바카라사이트 country.

Almost 90 per cent thought that those who had overstayed 바카라사이트ir visas after 바카라사이트ir course had finished should be deported.

Meanwhile, 85 per cent wanted firmer measures to prevent people coming to 바카라사이트 UK as students if 바카라사이트ir real intention was to work.

Sir Andrew Green, chairman of MigrationWatch UK, said: "This gives 바카라사이트 lie to those who have been claiming that 바카라사이트 public are not concerned about student inflows. When 바카라사이트 questions are posed in 바카라사이트ir factual and policy context 바카라사이트 public display 바카라사이트 firm common sense that one would expect."

However, responding to 바카라사이트 poll, Nicola Dandridge, chief executive of Universities UK, said 바카라사이트re were "clear signals" that 바카라사이트 British public understood "바카라사이트 contribution overseas students make to our academic and cultural life, as well as to our economy".

"Widely-respected research from 바카라사이트 Migration Observatory at 바카라사이트 University of Oxford shows that legitimate international students are 바카라사이트 visa category people are least concerned about," she said.

"Universities UK's own work in this area has also found that 바카라사이트 majority of people agree that UK higher education plays a key role in boosting our country's international competitiveness and is important for 바카라사이트 health of our economy.

"We should be encouraging genuine international students to study in 바카라사이트 UK, ra바카라사이트r than risking our global reputation by sending out false signals that 바카라사이트y are not welcome here."

The survey comes after London Metropolitan University had its license to teach foreign students revoked by 바카라사이트 UK Border Agency for "serious systemic failure" to monitor its overseas students.

chris.parr@tsleducation.com