The British Public Definitely Don't Want The Government To Target International Students

by Guest Tue Aug 26, 2014 7:51 am

[ltr]The British public does not see international students as immigrants and are opposed to attempts to reduce their number in a bid to lower net immigration, according to a new study.[/ltr]
[ltr]The report suggests the Government should remove them from immigration targets and support attempts to attract even more to come here to study.[/ltr]
[ltr]It was carried out by the British Future think tank and Universities UK, the representative organisation of the country's universities.[/ltr]
[ltr]David Cameron has said he is seeking to reduce net migration to the ''tens of thousands''.[/ltr]
[ltr]Last month the Prime Minister announced tougher rules to be imposed on universities and colleges which sponsor international students to study in the UK.[/ltr]
[ltr]From November, the threshold for stripping educational institutions of their ''highly-trusted sponsor'' status will be cut, so that they lose it if 10% or more of the individuals they offer places are refused visas, rather than the present 20%.[/ltr]
[ltr]According to the new report, international students are the largest group of migrants from outside the EU counted in the Government's immigration figures.[/ltr]
[ltr]But a poll of 2,111 people found just over one in five (22%) class overseas students as immigrants, and only the same amount would support a reduction in their numbers.[/ltr]
[ltr]When people are told that students are part of the Government's immigration target, "the most common reaction is surprise and even bafflement that international students are classified as immigrants at all," the report found.[/ltr]
[ltr]Almost six out of 10 (59%) people say the Government should not reduce the number of international students, even if it makes it harder to reduce immigration numbers. The figure was even higher for Conservative voters, at 66%.[/ltr]
[ltr]Meanwhile three in four (75%) are in favour of allowing them to stay on and work after they finish their degree, with support rising to 81% for Tory voters.[/ltr]

[ltr]http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2014/08/25/international-students-immigration_n_5707263.html?utm_hp_ref=uk[/ltr]