Calls for Policy Change on International Students
An Early Day Motion (EDM) calling for overseas university students to be removed from UK net migration targets has been submitted to the UK Parliament, reports Times Higher Education.
EDMs are formal motions submitted by MPs for debate in the House of Commons in order to publicise a cause and gather additional support for it. This EDM has been submitted by Sheffield MP Paul Blomfield, and apparently has cross-party support.
The University of Sheffield has also spoken out in support of the EDM, and is calling for more MPs to back the motion.
“We are deeply concerned that the UK should not alienate international students who are so crucial to our University, city and nation,” explained Professor Sir Keith Burnett, University of Sheffield Vice-Chancellor. “Without our international students and staff, the UK would not have the tremendous record it does for education, science and engineering.”
“Our international students are our colleagues and friends, and learning in a global university context is an experience which enriches all students and prepares them to work across national boundaries to address the great challenges of our age,” he said.
“Even purely on grounds of enlightened self-interest, UK students make a crucial contribution to our country,” Profession Burnett added. “Nationally the UK is a world-leader when it comes to international higher education and we now have an industry worth £7 billion a year to the UK economy. More than 136,000 British jobs can be attributed to the enrolment of non-EU international students.”
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