In a bid to curtail record-high net migration levels, the United Kingdom (UK) is contemplating the deportation of international students who fail to attain satisfactory academic performance, according to reports by The Telegraph.
The Home Secretary, James Cleverly, has urged the UK Migration Advisory Committee to scrutinize the graduate visa program as part of a comprehensive five-point plan to reduce net migration by 300,000 individuals. The report highlights that the UK issued two-year visas to over 98,000 international students, marking a substantial year-on-year increase of 74 percent or 42,000 students.
Concerns have been raised about the potential misuse of the visa program, with fears that it serves as a gateway for individuals to secure low-skilled jobs or merely extend their stay without engaging in employment. Professor Brian Bell, Chairman of the committee, emphasized the absence of a requirement for students to graduate with specific grades, prompting a review of the graduate route.
“There’s no requirement to get particular grades in your university course or anything like that. That’s the question we want to review in the graduate route to think about whether that’s sensible or whether you should have a rule that says you have to achieve a certain grade or a certain kind of achievement in your course,” stated Bell.
The committee is set to explore potential measures such as restricting foreign students to certain universities or specific courses, and imposing limitations on certain types of jobs or activities. Currently, there are no constraints on students’ activities during the two-year visa period.
Former Home Secretary Suella Braverman and former Immigration Minister Robert Jenrick have joined the call for an overhaul or elimination of the graduate visa, expressing concerns that it contributes to immigration-related issues and is susceptible to exploitation. Jenrick previously stated, “The graduate route is ripe for comprehensive reform. Too many universities have fallen into the migration, rather than education business, and are marketing low-grade, short courses as a backdoor to a life in the UK,” as reported by The Telegraph in an earlier article.
