The United
Kingdom’s (UK) immigration policy is increasingly furthering the notion that
foreign students are unwelcome. A study conducted by University and College Union (UCU), a
professional association of lecturers, trainers, academics and researchers
working in UK universities, reveals that 52 percent of the respondents in the
study, who hail from non-EU countries, admit that they feel unwelcome in the
UK.
The study,
conducted between May 13 and 15 2013, came against the backdrop of the
government’s decision to group overseas students from non-EU states as one of
its net migration targets. Net migration is the balance between the number of
people who come to live in the UK for long periods and those who are leaving.
In formulating the policy, the government hopes to reduce the net migration
rates to less than 100,000 by 2015.
British
universities will be the hardest hit by the policy. Even as early as September
2012, statistics released by Universities UK indicated that
student arrivals from India, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan had declined by 32, 31
and 22 percent respectively.
Students
from Africa will also undoubtedly feel the effects of the policy—many Africans
go to UK to further their education. GoStudy UK revealed that Africans constituted
12 percent of non-EU students in the country in 2011. Nigeria accounted for 48
percent of these students while Libya and Kenya came in second and third with 7
percent and 6 percent respectively.
UCU
president Simon Renton criticised the government for its indifference to the
ramifications of its tough talk on immigration.“UK has built a reputation for
excellent education services, which attract the brightest brains worldwide to
our institutions. The government needs to take care not to reverse the gains
achieved thus far,” Mr. Renton stated.
His
comments could not be farther from the truth. The same study conducted by UCU,
reveals that UK universities are held in high esteem by foreign students.
Eighty-two per cent of the interviewed non-EU students applaud the level
of support offered by teachers whereas eighty-one percent believe that these
universities offer quality teaching.
Parliament
has also voiced its concerns over the immigration policy and its effects on UK
as an attractive academic destination. In January, the chair persons of five
parliamentary committees (Home Affairs, Business, Public Accounts, Science and
Technology and Europe sub-committee) wrote to Prime Minister David Cameron
asking him to balance between the need for tougher restrictions and the need
for economic growth. They requested him to remove overseas students from the
net migration targets. However, the government insists that the policy aims to
stifle the abuse of UK’s immigration system.
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