International students in the UK

Government report to be commissioned on the assessment of international students in the UK

The Government today announced that as part of its assessment of the impact of international students on the UK, a social and economic impact report is to be prepared by the Migration Advisory Committee.

The Migration Advisory Committee is going to be asked to look at:

• The impact of tuition fees and other spending by international students on the national, regional, and local economy and on the education sector
• The roles international students play in contributing to local economic growth;
• The impact of the recruitment of those international students on the provision and quality of education provided to domestic students.

This report comes on the back of, and contributes to, the Government's recent focus on tackling UK education institutions with poor immigration compliance; a topic which I have reported on previously in Education Focus.

With the UK as the second most popular destination for international study, Home Secretary Amber Rudd said

"There is no limit to the number of genuine international students who can come to the UK to study and the fact that we remain the second most popular global destination for those seeking higher education is something to be proud of.

We understand how important students around the world are to our higher education sector, which is a key export for our country, and that's why we want to have a robust and independent evidence base of their value and the impact they have".

The report is expected in September 2018.

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