University Alliance has written to the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) in response to its call for evidence on ‘international students: economic and social impacts’.
In a letter to Professor Alan Manning, chair of the MAC, we supported Universities UK’s (UUK) submission to the Inquiry which highlighted the importance of the international market to UK higher education.
The economic evidence is clear with international students representing £10.8 billion in export value, 206,600 jobs and a net economic benefit of £20.3 billion. The value is also social as international students contribute to diverse campuses, aiding the preparation of home students for an international workforce, and extending the UK’s soft power abroad.
In line with UUK, we believe the government should take positive policy decisions to support universities to grow their international student numbers, as follows:
- launch an ambitious, cross-Government strategy to increase international student numbers
- enhance post-study work opportunities
- provide additional financial backing to market the UK offer overseas
- reduce the compliance burden on sponsors of international students
- remove students from the net migration target.
Read the letter in full here.
