Theresa May has been left isolated in her determination to keep counting foreign students in the government’s immigration targets, after new figures have shown that fewer than 5,000 remain after their visa has expired. Both Conservative and opposition politicians have urged the prime minister to end the focus on overseas students, as the government has overestimated the number of students who remain in the UK illegally. The data, which comes from the Office for National Statistics, shows just 4,600 people overstayed their visa last year, compared to estimates of close to 100,000 from previous years. Many Conservative MPs believe that including students in the target has distorted government policy, leading to suspicion rather than welcoming of the sector’s contribution to the economy.
The number of EU citizens leaving their countries has increased by 33,000, resulting in a total outflow of 122,000, which is the highest it has been in almost ten years. Interestingly, citizens from EU8 countries – which include the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia – saw a sharp increase in departures, with 17,000 more people leaving compared to the previous year. In contrast, there was a decrease of 19,000 EU citizens coming into the UK, although this was not deemed to be statistically significant. Economist Jonathan Portes has stated that these figures demonstrate the impact of Brexit on migration flows even before leaving the EU or implementing policy changes.
There has been a significant decrease in the number of international students coming to the UK since the Brexit vote, with figures compiled by the Economist showing that immigration has dropped to approximately half of what it was, causing concern amongst many in the UK. The ‘poisonous tone’ created during the EU referendum debate has generated the demonization of immigrants, creating obstacles for social integration. According to a recent report by all-party parliamentary group on social integration, migrants should be seen as potential British citizens and not viewed as a security threat. The group recommended councils be legally obliged to promote integration and that the government encourage “meaningful social mixing” between immigrants and Britons. Businesses employing a large number of immigrants should also be required to pay a levy that could be used to help alleviate the stresses and pressures on communities. Chair of the group, Chuka Umunna, stated that “we must act now to safeguard our diverse communities from the peddlers of hatred and division while addressing valid concerns about the impact of immigration on public services". To do this, it is important to view immigrants as Britons-in-waiting, eager to integrate into their communities. It is vital that such newcomers should not be left to struggle or thrive but be provided with the appropriate support to establish themselves in the UK.
