Government immigration targets will hit international students

Mike Francis was commenting on new findings from the Institute for Public Policy Research, claiming tens of thousands of genuine international students are at risk of being turned away from Britain, costing the economy billions of pounds.

The Westbourne Academy principal said: "I share these concerns. Students are being used to try and cut the immigration problem whereas they are not the problem at all.

"Students pay to stay here, bringing in a huge amount of money at a time when we desperately need this vital cash injection. In the Bournemouth area alone the industry is worth £208 million a year.

"They are an export; it is very different from people who come here and do not contribute anything to the local economy."

The Government has pledged to cut annual net migration to the UK from 'hundreds of thousands to tens of thousands.'

However ippr's analysis shows that reducing student immigration will have only a short-lived impact because such a small proportion of international students end up staying in the UK permanently.

It is estimated that international students bring up to £10 billion into the UK economy every year through fees and direct spending alone.

Education institutions would be badly hit by reduced international student numbers at a time when funding is already extremely tight, with potential job losses, it's been claimed.

Sarah Mulley, the ippr's, associate director, said: "In the run up to the announcement of severe cuts in international student numbers, the Government has made much of the abuse of the student visa system.

"It is absolutely right to clamp down. But emphasising that issue now is something of a smokescreen because the best evidence suggests that the vast majority of international students come here legitimately and most stay for only a short time.

"This will cause real damage to the education sector and the wider British economy, all in pursuit of an artificial migration target."