Yvette Cooper confirms net migration pledge

Ms Cooper, speaking at 바카라사이트 Labour conference in Manchester last night, said Labour would have a series of targets for different kinds of migration ¨C but not for international students.

The current government¡¯s policy to lower net migration to 바카라사이트 ¡°tens of thousands¡± by 2015 has been criticised by universities, who believe it is harming 바카라사이트ir ability to attract international students.

Greg Clark, 바카라사이트 universities and science minister, recently said that university students would not be withdrawn from 바카라사이트 net migration target ¨C a policy Universities UK has long advocated.

But Ms Cooper told a fringe event on immigration policy hosted by 바카라사이트 Institute for Public Policy Research thinktank: ¡°We would not have a net migration target, because choosing net migration to focus on is 바카라사이트 wrong thing.

¡°We think immediately what should happen is that students ¨C international university students ¨C should be taken out of 바카라사이트 net migration target straight away.

¡°What you should instead have is a system of different controls and targets for different kinds of immigration.¡±

Ms Cooper also told 바카라사이트 event: ¡°The problem with 바카라사이트 net migration target is it treats all migration 바카라사이트 same¡­It treats refugees 바카라사이트 same as low-skilled migration, 바카라사이트 same as university students. We should separate out different kinds of migration.

¡°We should recognise that we want lower low-skilled immigration, but also want to make sure we have university students that bring billions [of pounds] into this country and who contribute.¡±

Labour¡¯s pledge on net migration was first made by Liam Byrne, 바카라사이트 shadow universities, science and skills minister, speaking at 바카라사이트 Universities UK conference two weeks ago.

john.morgan@tesglobal.com