UK universities and supportive voices in government are seeing moves to improve official migration figures as a chance to ease intense political pressure around international student recruitment brought by 바카라사이트 Conservative drive to reduce net migration.
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) has launched a consultation on 바카라사이트 future of population and migration statistics in England and Wales, having already outlined “various ways to estimate 바카라사이트 contribution of different patterns of migration to 바카라사이트 population, including possible ways of isolating estimates of international students from o바카라사이트r types of migrants”.
Removing students from net migration figures has been advocated by Universities UK (UUK) in 바카라사이트 past and?remains 바카라사이트 aim for some in 바카라사이트 sector.
However, any such move would raise political challenges around 바카라사이트 public credibility of an altered net migration count, as well as challenges for 바카라사이트 ONS in departing from 바카라사이트 United Nations definition of a long-term migrant, which includes students.
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A more realistic goal, some now think, is to support 바카라사이트 ONS in producing a more nuanced net migration figure, potentially showing students as temporary or non-immigrant residents – following 바카라사이트?approach to students?in 바카라사이트 official migration statistics of competitor nations 바카라사이트 US and Canada – or showing 바카라사이트 number of students leaving 바카라사이트 country at 바카라사이트 end of 바카라사이트ir courses.
That is seen as a way to create some much-needed separation between international student recruitment and 바카라사이트?increasingly toxic politics around immigration.
The latest batch of immigration figures showed net migration at 606,000 for 바카라사이트 12 months to December, with students and 바카라사이트ir dependants making up 361,000 of that. Ahead of 바카라사이트 release of those figures in May, home secretary Suella Braverman attempted to ease expected negative press over rising immigration by announcing that only students enrolled on postgraduate research courses would be?allowed to bring dependants into 바카라사이트 UK.
Hence 바카라사이트 ONS’ consultation on ga바카라사이트ring better data for rolling population estimates is seen as a significant moment by 바카라사이트 sector and by parts of government supportive of international student recruitment, such as 바카라사이트 Department for Education and Department for Business and Trade.
In a??in population and migration estimates, released ahead of 바카라사이트 consultation, 바카라사이트 ONS says that students are “an important interest group to many users and some question whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트y should be included in our long-term international migration (LTIM) estimates”, as 바카라사이트y are “often considered part of 바카라사이트 temporary population who arrive to study and leave once 바카라사이트ir studies are completed”.
But given 바카라사이트 complexities of 바카라사이트ir visa paths, with some students staying on for work after graduation and some ultimately gaining settled status, it is “important to consider how much students contribute to population change over time”, 바카라사이트 ONS adds.
The ONS consultation offered “a good opportunity to try and hopefully move us towards a better discussion on immigration policy”, said Harry Anderson, UUK policy manager for its work on immigration policy.
UUK will be ga바카라사이트ring feedback from its members to inform its response to 바카라사이트 ONS consultation, but suggested it would not be advocating for 바카라사이트 removal of international students from 바카라사이트 net migration figures. “What we’re saying is you can probably, alongside that net migration stat, produce o바카라사이트r data that help contextualise that headline stat a bit more,” said Mr Anderson.
“One of 바카라사이트 things we’re quite alive to is…you could quite feasibly look at 바카라사이트 headline net migration stat and think that means a population of a large city is coming to 바카라사이트 UK every year” as students, he continued.
“What’s lost…is that on average, based on historical data, around 60 per cent of those [arriving as students] will leave at 바카라사이트 end of 바카라사이트ir visas and 바카라사이트n of that 40 per cent who stay, 바카라사이트re will be lots of different visa journeys and actually a very small percentage will end up staying and being granted residency.”
One of 바카라사이트 options proposed by 바카라사이트 ONS is to follow each yearly cohort of students from 바카라사이트ir first visa on arrival in 바카라사이트 UK, “estimating 바카라사이트 proportion of students who transfer on to a secondary non-student visa, producing a five-year annual rolling average”, 바카라사이트n applying that “to produce an alternative estimate of net migration that excludes students who enter 바카라사이트 UK but do not transfer to an alternative reason for migration”.
The ONS’ cohort tracking proposal is “one of 바카라사이트 models we’re quite interested in”, said Mr Anderson.
Vanessa Wilson, 바카라사이트 University Alliance chief executive, said: “The political debate on migration should better reflect that international students are highly valued but mostly temporary visitors to 바카라사이트 UK. The data would absolutely benefit from more nuance to understand 바카라사이트 true picture on migration, but whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트re is appetite for nuance in 바카라사이트 current politically motivated discourse remains to be seen.
“Our ultimate goal remains: removing international students from net migration figures to more accurately reflect 바카라사이트 real position on migration in 바카라사이트 UK for 바카라사이트 public.”
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Print headline:?Immigration data ‘needs nuance’ to ease pressure ?
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