Comment: Are restrictions on international students hurting the UK?
By Paul Blomfield MP
The considerable debate on international students and immigration has largely focussed on their inclusion in net migration targets. Many of us, including seven Parliamentary Select Committees, have argued for a change of policy on this issue. But what else is to be done to reverse the fall in international student numbers?
Simply taking students out of the targets won’t be enough. There are detailed policy options to consider and the All Party Parliamentary Group on Migration is about to look at one of them. This week the Group, which I chair, announced an inquiry into the impact of the closure of the post-study work visa route for non-EU graduates. The cross-party inquiry will look at how closing the principal means of staying on to work after graduation has affected students, universities, local economies and communities.
The post-study work (PSW) route allowed non-EU graduates to seek employment in the UK for up to two years following their studies. The idea behind the route, introduced by the last Government, was that these highly skilled migrants would benefit from, and be of benefit to, UK society and economy. The PSW was closed by the Home Office in April 2012. And since then, non-EU graduates have only been able to seek employment in the UK upon graduation by meeting earnings and other criteria and, crucially, only if they are sponsored by an employer.
There is particular interest in the impact of the closure of the PSW route, especially since, for the first time in almost 30 years, the number of international students coming to the UK is declining. Is the closure of the PSW affecting our competitiveness in a growing international student market, which contributes an estimated £8 billion to the UK economy? The picture is not so simple. In 2012/13, there was actually a 6% increase in the number of first year students from China, whilst there was a 25% drop in the number of first year students from India, meaning the number of first years from India has fallen by a staggering 49% in two years. Has the closure of the PSW route affected the diversity of our campuses? And what about the impact on local economies and the wider community? Businesses in my city of Sheffield have told me of the talent they can no longer access. The inquiry will attempt to get to the bottom of some of these issues.
We also want to learn from what’s happened elsewhere around the world. In Australia, a wholesale review of the student visa system resulted in a tightening up of the system. But a subsequent review, prompted by the resulting decline in international student numbers, recommended extending PSW as a way of attracting students to Australia. In the USA, there are plans to increase post-study work options for graduates in science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) subjects. The French recently upped the time non-EU graduates can stay after graduation to look for work from six months to a year. The inquiry will provide us with the opportunity to learn from the experiences of our competitors.
Together with colleagues from all three main political parties, including representatives from both the House of Commons and the House of Lords, I’m looking forward to looking at this issue in more detail. Too often in debates about immigration, we don’t distinguish between different types of migrant, or indeed reflect enough on the impact of policies that have been put in place, which may be having unintended consequences. I know that Sheffield benefits enormously from the contribution of international students, both to the local economy and more broadly to the life of the city, and I am keen to hear from students, universities, local businesses and others how they think the closure of the PSW route is impacting across the country.
The Inquiry into the closure of the Post Study Work route will hold evidence sessions and take written evidence until 30 September 2014. It will report in late 2014/early 2015.
Paul Blomfield is the MP for Sheffield Central and the Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Migration.
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