Britain has announced its intention to restrict migration by limiting the rights of certain international students to bring their families to the country. The move is part of a broader effort to reduce the annual net migration, which reached a record high last year.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has made a commitment to decrease legal migration and has been exploring various options to address the issue ahead of an expected election next year.
The new measures, proposed by the interior ministry, will specifically affect postgraduate students, excluding those enrolled in research programs. The aim is to significantly reduce migration numbers and prevent individuals from using student visas as a means to gain employment in the UK.
Interior Minister Suella Braverman stated that there has been an unprecedented increase in the number of student dependents entering the country on visas. The changes are intended to protect public services while still supporting the economy by allowing the most significant contributors to continue coming to the UK.
Under the current rules, postgraduate students studying courses lasting nine months or more are allowed to bring their partners and children to the UK. However, the government reports that the number of dependents has risen eightfold since 2019, reaching 136,000 people last year.
These measures will take effect in January, coinciding with the release of the annual net migration estimates for 2022, which are scheduled for Thursday. Net migration for the year ending in June 2022 reached a historic peak of 504,000.
Braverman expects the numbers to gradually return to pre-pandemic levels in the medium term, although no specific target has been set.
The issue of high levels of legal migration and the strain it places on public services has long been a prominent topic in British politics. It was a key factor behind the Brexit referendum in 2016.
Additionally, the UK will eliminate the option for international students to switch from the student route to work routes before completing their studies, according to the interior ministry.
Notably, student visas accounted for the largest proportion of migration to the UK, with 486,000 visas issued last year.
"Tags": migration, international students, family members, net migration, Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, legal migration, arrivals, election, interior ministry, postgraduate students, research programs, student visas, dependants, public services, economy, pandemic, Brexit referendum, work routes, annual net migration estimates
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