'It's a terrible idea': Higher education think tank director condemns PM's plans to restrict foreign students
22 May 2023, 09:32 | Updated: 22 May 2023, 09:39
'We don't want to bring the numbers down': HEPI Think Tank director slams govt plan
The UK makes "40 billion pounds a year from international students" and it would be a "terrible idea" to deter them from studying here, think tank director Nick Hillman has said.
This comes as the Conservative Party consider legislation to ban dependents travelling with international students below PhD level in an attempt to combat high levels of migration.
Former Special Advisor and Director of the Higher Education Policy Institute think tank, Nick Hillman, spoke to Nick Ferrari.
When asked what he thought of the government's proposed plans, Mr Hillman said: "I think it's a terrible idea, we're really good at higher education in this country and these people they'll just stop coming to the UK and go to study in Australia and Canada instead."
"But to those who say 'But that gets the numbers down, that's exactly what I'm trying to do'," Nick challenged.
"It will get the numbers down," Mr Hillman admitted, "but I would suggest we don't want to get these numbers down."
He went on: "I've been in election campaigns and on the doorsteps people are worried about immigration but they're worried about people who might take the jobs and houses that they might need for themselves.
"International students aren't really doing that they nearly all go home afterwards with warm thoughts of the UK. Some of them stay here and then they tend to work in the public sector filling in holes where there's a gap."
The ex-special advisor went on to stress the economic positive of international students: "We published a report last week that showed that we make as a country 40 billion pounds a year from international students and that the benefits are spread throughout every consistency of the UK."
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