A recent report by The Times Newspaper indicated that the prime minister of the UK, Rishi Sunak, considered bringing down the number of international student immigrants. This decision is being considered as there was a drastic increase in the population of immigrants observed as of June 2022 which has reached up to 504,000. In order to bring down these numbers, the prime minister plans to limit foreign students in the UK unless they were admitted into some of the top universities.
Since many international students migrate to the UK, hoping for a better lifestyle, many dependents also move in with these students, which could have contributed to this increase in numbers. This may result in restricting visas to student dependents who depend on their family’s student visa. As of June 2022, approximately 486,868 sponsored study visas were granted which was a 71% increase from 2019. Out of these 117,965 student visas were granted towards international students from India and 81,089 visas were granted towards dependants.
This may have a significant impact on the university funding and might even push them to bankruptcy. Most of the universities in the UK run on a loss by teaching British students which they compensate for by charging International students more. If this medium of funding is restricted, many universities might face difficulty in functioning or there might be a fee hike for British students. This makes international students an irreplaceable asset towards the functioning of Universities and towards the country’s economy. The tuition fees paid by international students between the years 2020-21 are estimated to be 9.95 billion pounds through 605,130 international students studying in UK universities.
In addition to this, in order to reach the technological and scientific goals, the country requires about 150,000 researchers and technicians by 2030. If there are severe restrictions towards student immigration imposed, it might directly affect the country’s skill shortage. The prime minister claims to have been fully committed to bringing down immigration levels in the country, but given the economic circumstances, this particular action may not be best for the smooth functioning of the universities.
If you are considering studying abroad why don’t you discuss your prospects and opportunities with experts at Lurnable’s dedicated study abroad counselling division LurnPathways?
