A new study in the UK has shown that the public do not want international students to be included in net migration numbers – something which has limited the number of international students able to come to the UK since the ruling came into place in 2010.
The poll of over 2,000 people also found that the 75% of the British public felt that international students should be allowed to remain in the UK to work after graduating too.
The Conservative-led government introduced the target to reduce net migration to fewer than 100,000 by 2015. However it has since been criticised by the international education community for portraying Britain as being “closed” to students from abroad. Over the last four years, a number of measures have been introduced to curb immigration numbers such as mandatory immigration interviews of incoming students.
59% overall said that they did not believe international student numbers should be included in this target. The report also indicated support for a strategy to re-establish and further international student growth in the UK, similar to that in other countries such as the IIE in the States. The report pointed to the many benefits which international students bring to the country including adding ‘diversity and vibrancy’ to the local area, as well as how the income from higher international student fees can be used to bolster university facilities for all students.
This poll comes just nine months before national elections in the country, a pivotal time for key issues to rise to the surface.
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