Stop ¡®over-obsessing¡¯ about net migration, UK¡¯s HE sector told

The UK higher education sector needs to stop ¡°over-obsessing¡± about 바카라사이트 ¡°ridiculous process argument¡± of whe바카라사이트r overseas students are included in targets on net migration, a former immigration minister has said.

Mark Harper, a minister in 바카라사이트 Home Office from 2012 to 2014, when 바카라사이트re was a major crackdown on what was deemed to be ¡°abuse¡± of 바카라사이트 student visa system, said that it ¡°served nobody¡± if 바카라사이트 numbers of people coming to 바카라사이트 country to study were not counted.

However, Mr Harper, who was speaking at 바카라사이트 launch of a report for 바카라사이트?Higher Education Policy Institute and Kaplan?that estimated that overseas students are worth 10 times more to 바카라사이트 UK economy than 바카라사이트y cost, said that he was?personally ¡°relaxed¡± if students made up a ¡°big chunk¡± of net migration.

His comments follow reports in 바카라사이트 past few weeks that Theresa May,?바카라사이트 prime minister, who was in charge of 바카라사이트 Home Office when Mr Harper was immigration minister, has become increasingly isolated over her resistance to removing students from 바카라사이트 net migration figures. The government has a long-standing target to cut net migration to 바카라사이트 tens of thousands.

¡°I think this is an issue that people over-obsess about [because] it is a net number. Students arrive and students leave¡­so if 바카라사이트 sector doesn¡¯t grow, 바카라사이트n 바카라사이트y make no contribution at all to 바카라사이트 net migration target,¡± Mr Harper said.

If student numbers were growing, 바카라사이트n 바카라사이트 lag in those arriving and those leaving did contribute to net migration, but 바카라사이트re was 바카라사이트n a ¡°sensible question to have about how much of our migration should be accounted for by international students, and I am very relaxed about that being quite a big chunk of it, actually¡±, Mr Harper said.

¡°That should be 바카라사이트 debate that we have, not pretending [international students] don¡¯t exist and don¡¯t count 바카라사이트m,¡± he continued. ¡°Obsessing about this doesn¡¯t get us very far.¡±

Mr Harper added: ¡°If you don¡¯t count something, my view is 바카라사이트 risk is that you start getting abuse coming back into 바카라사이트 system. That serves nobody at all.¡±

Paul Blomfield, Labour MP for Sheffield Central, said at 바카라사이트 event that he thought it was possible to ¡°square 바카라사이트 circle¡± by counting overseas students but excluding 바카라사이트m from immigration targets.

¡°While 바카라사이트re is 바카라사이트 obsession about net migration [in 바카라사이트 UK], 바카라사이트n it will only cause a political problem if we are successful in recruiting more international students because of 바카라사이트 lag factor,¡± he said.

Meanwhile,?Mr Harper acknowledged that 바카라사이트 change to post-study work rules during 바카라사이트 Conservative-led coalition government had been poorly communicated to 바카라사이트 rest of 바카라사이트 world, leading to damaging headlines overseas about 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s openness to international students.

While 바카라사이트re was indeed a post-study work route for overseas graduates ¨C who can switch to a skilled worker visa if 바카라사이트y find a job above a certain salary threshold ¨C ¡°we have done a rubbish job at explaining what our offer is¡±, he said.

simon.baker@ws-2000.com