We’ve all heard the story about the sneaky immigrants who come over here pretending to be students going to fake universities and achieving made-up ‘academic’ qualifications. This is the kind of bigoted drivel you hear from Daily Mail readers all the time. There probably is, however, at least some underlying truth to it. Government figures show that two thirds of non-EU migrants who enter the UK do so on a student visa. We have all seen the cases of ‘students’ who have overstayed their welcome after coming to study at these bogus colleges. I would agree that this is not an ideal situation.
However, the coalition government’s response to this issue is both short-sighted and counterproductive. The government has announced plans to limit student visas for international students. This would see a significant drop in international students as well as substantially reducing the income of universities. It has also suggested that students will have to meet minimum language requirements before they can gain a student visa. Yet, the whole point of these students coming here for preliminary pre-degree courses is to develop these language skills.
The Government is committed to cutting net immigration from 215,000 to 100,000 in 2015. In order to pander to popular opinion that immigration is bad, the government has once again, as it has already done with other plans in its short time in office, executed this exceedingly badly. It seems beyond belief that the government has decided to put what is effectively a blanket ban on international students which causes more problems than it solves. What the government could easily do is introduce greater regulation of those offering such courses to ensure they are genuine providers. Keeping greater track over students who come to study at these institutions and properly enforcing the conditions of their visa would seem a proportionate response.
With universities already facing funding gaps, attracting foreign students paying higher fees is going to be even more necessary. Many students have to pass tough language courses or other basic qualifications in the UK before they are able to start at UK universities. Without these preliminary courses and qualifications they would not be able to study at these universities. And this is not just an issue that is happening miles away from our doorstep.
Four Yorkshire universities recently revealed that they generate on average £15 million from foreign students studying pre-degree level courses. One of the government’s possible plans is the suggestion that students will have to meet minimum language requirements before they can gain a student visa. Yet, the whole point of these students coming here for these preliminary pre-degree courses is to develop the language skills.
Before we even get into any discussion about the wealth of benefits that immigration offers us as a state, there is the simple fact that our universities will face incomprehensible challenges if these proposals are implemented. Financially, universities will be in a difficult situation without the high income from overseas tuition fees. However, socially one of the greatest attractions of our university is the diverse student community; with people here from all backgrounds, including those abroad. Without the international community at our university, this campus will be a significantly worse place to be.
Forget protests over tuition fees or lack of porters, you may soon be hearing the chants of protest around campus again soon, although not in our native tongue as this won’t be affecting British students. But it should be all of us on the streets protesting about this. At universities such as York, international students are the lifeblood of our academic communities, and without them we will be seriously disadvantaged, not just financially, but in terms of the university experience we will receive.
Immigration restrictions, especially on skilled workers and students, are economic suicide. Populist politics at its worst.