Hosting on Virtual Panel PIE News And Lord Amber Bilimoria, co-chair of the APPG for international students and director of Student Accommodation Services, said polling showed she was positive that a Labour victory in the July 4 general election would improve Britain's international reputation.
“The current administration is hostile to immigration in general, and to international students as well.
“I am confident that a Labour government will be much more friendly and much less hostile to immigration,” Bilimoria said.
In particular, he said the ban on undergraduate and postgraduate students bringing dependents to the UK and the MAC's review of post-graduation work visas had “damaged the UK's reputation” among potential international students.
The MAC review, which recommended that the bill remain in its current form, “was not what the government or Rishi Sunak wanted to hear.”
“Many people, including Sunack, wanted to ignore the report they commissioned, but it will stand,” Bilimoria added.
His comments echo those made by Michael Lynas, head of Duolingo UK, at the UKCISA conference in July, who predicted a period of relative calm after a tumultuous few years in UK higher education under a series of Conservative governments.
Jake Foster, AECC chief commercial officer, agreed that the dependent ban would have a negative impact on enrollment rates in Q3 and Q4 2024, with 60% of prospective students surveyed by the AECC citing the dependent ban as a major barrier.
According to the poster, the ban has hit the Nigerian market particularly hard, with registrations dropping by 80%.
In a panel discussion, posters highlighted the impact of high interest rates on the jobs market and the financial hardship faced by international students in the UK.
“The positive news is that interest rates are falling across Europe. It is clear that this will happen in the UK too, which will lead to more jobs for graduates,” Foster said, predicting a period of stability for agents sending students to the UK.
He reiterated the competitive global environment in which policymakers are operating, pointing to Donald Trump’s recent proposal to grant green cards to all international students who graduate from U.S. universities if elected president, which would make the U.S. “extremely competitive” and “a major threat.” But the proposal was effectively withdrawn during Trump’s campaign.
The 2024 QS World University Rankings feature four UK and US universities in the top 10, with three UK universities in the top five.
Meanwhile, in Canada and Australia, restrictions on international student enrolment are causing significant disruption in the market.
I am confident that a Labour government would be much more friendly and much less hostile to immigration.
Sir Billimoria
As Bilimoria points out, the important point is that, unlike the other 'big four' study destinations, international students count towards the UK's net inflow of international students, which is set to exceed 700,000 in 2022.
“Under UN regulations, students are considered immigrants even if they stay for just one year. Other countries, such as the US, Australia and Canada, include international students when they report their figures to the UN, but when they report their figures domestically, they classify them as temporary immigrants, which drastically reduces the numbers,” he explained.
“We have support from several political parties for this, but the government is unwilling to implement it. It seems as if they want to scare the people.
“I hope that if a Labor government comes into power, they will listen to me and exclude international students from their net migration figures,” Bilimoria said.
Bilimoria offered an optimistic outlook for a Labour government, but stopped short of suggesting the party would reverse the dependant changes and allow undergraduates and postgraduates to bring their families to the UK.
A third generation British university educated family member, Bilimoria has maintained a strong stance in championing the quality of British higher education and the interests of international students.
“The soft power of international students is unparalleled and invaluable,” he said.
“About 25% of the world's leaders were educated at American universities, 25% of the world's leaders were educated at British universities, and the remaining 50% is the combined education of all the other countries in the world. This shows the strength of our education system.”
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