MPs alarmed over effects of visa rules on education sector

The UK’s academic reputation and an international market worth £40bn a year could both suffer if plans to reduce the number of non-EU migrants coming to study in the UK have unintended consequences, MPs have warned.

The Commons Home Affairs Select Committee said the data used to assess the numbers involved were not “fit for purpose”.

Keith Vaz, the committee’s chairman, said: “Generating policy based on flawed evidence could cripple the UK education sector. In the case of international students this could mean a significant revenue and reputational loss to the UK.

“We strongly urge the Government to examine the data which it currently uses to extrapolate migration figures and recognise that for any genuine student the doors to Britain’s fine education institutions are always open.

“Students are not migrants. They come from all over the world to study here, contributing to the economy both through payment of fees and wider spending.”

The Government plans to tighten the rules governing student visas as part of efforts to fulfil its pledge to reduce net migration from 200,000 to tens of thousands by 2015. Plans include raising the standard of English language skills required from applicants.

The Yorkshire Post revealed last month that higher education chiefs in the region were warning this would stop genuine students from outside the EU from doing foundation year or English courses at a Yorkshire university as a stepping stone to a full degree.

Figures from just four universities in Yorkshire show that closing this route off would cost the region’s higher education sector as much as £15m in lost fees.