Government to commission assessment of international students / Home Office publishes second report on statistics collected under exit checks programme

The United Kingdom Home Secretary Amber Rudd commissioned the independent Migration Advisory Committee on the 24 August 2017 to complete a detailed study of the social and economic impact of international students in the UK.

The commission was part of a series of publications which were published on the same day which would feed into a robust and comprehensive evidence base on the impact of international students.

Alongside the commission, the UK’s first publication of exit checks data would provide a comprehensive account of the compliance of international students. In addition, the Office of National Statistics released a report as part of its ongoing programme of work looking at the impact of students on net migration.

The MAC commission followed an earlier commission from the Home Office in July 2017 asking the MAC to examine the role EU nationals played in the UK economy and society.

Further information
The UK Government said it had been clear that it was committed to keeping the doors open to genuine students, while at the same time taking action to crack down on immigration abuse from poor quality institutions that were damaging the UK’s reputation as a provider of world-leading education. Since 2010, this had included taking away the ability of more than 900 – often bogus or low quality – colleges to bring in international students.

The Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) would be asked to examine the impact both EU and non-EU students have on the labour market and economy whilst in the UK.

Issues the MAC would be asked to consider would include:

+ the impact of tuition fees and other spending by international students on the national, regional, and local economy and on the education sector
+ the role students play in contributing to local economic growth
+ the impact their recruitment has on the provision and quality of education provided to domestic students

The Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) is an independent public body that provides transparent, independent and evidence-based advice to the UK government on migration issues.

Subsequent developments

The Migration Advisory Committee published its report Impact of international students in the UK in September 2018.

The report assessed the impacts of international students in a range of areas:

+ economic and fiscal impacts
+ impacts on domestic students
+ impacts on the wider community
+ impacts after studies are completed

The Guardian, 24.08.17: UK immigration levels may be lower than thought, new border checks find https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2017/aug/24/almost-all-international-students-leave-uk-after-finishing-studies

Politico, 24.08.17: UK net migration falls by almost 25 percent post-Brexit http://www.politico.eu/article/uk-net-migration-falls-by-almost-25-percent-post-brexit/

ONS: People, population and community: Population and migration: International migration: Migration Statistics Quarterly Report: August 2017 https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/populationandmigration/internationalmigration/bulletins/migrationstatisticsquarterlyreport/august2017

UK: GOV.UK: Home Office: News, 24.08.17: Home Office publishes second report on statistics collected under exit checks programme https://www.gov.uk/government/news/home-office-publishes-second-report-on-statistics-collected-under-exit-checks-programme

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ESO: Background information: Exiting the EU: challenges and opportunities for higher education http://www.europeansources.info/record/exiting-the-eu-challenges-and-opportunities-for-higher-education/

BBC News, 23.08.17: UK government to investigate impact of overseas students http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-41030304

The Guardian, 24.08.17: Expert panel to assess impact of international students on UK jobs https://www.theguardian.com/education/2017/aug/24/expert-panel-impact-international-students-uk-jobs-migration-advisory-committee

UK: GOV.UK: Migration Advisory Committee https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/migration-advisory-committee

Universities UK: Policy and Analysis: Immigration https://www.universitiesuk.ac.uk/policy-and-analysis/Pages/immigration.aspx

Universities UK: News, 11.09.18: Migration Advisory Committee publishes report on international students https://www.universitiesuk.ac.uk/news/Pages/Migration-Advisory-Committee-publishes-report-on-international-students.aspx

UK: GOV.UK: Migration Advisory Committee: Impact of international students in the UK, September 2018 https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/739089/Impact_intl_students_report_published_v1.1.pdf

Open Europe: Blog, 27.09.18: How should the government respond to the MAC report on international students? https://openeurope.org.uk/today/blog/how-should-the-government-respond-to-the-mac-report-on-international-students/

UK: GOV.UK: Migration Advisory Committee: News, 11.09.18: Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) report: international students https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/migration-advisory-committee-mac-report-international-students

The Guardian, 11.09.18: Relax rules on foreign students staying to find work in UK, report says https://www.theguardian.com/education/2018/sep/11/international-students-report-migration-advisory-committee-jobs-uk

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