October 01, 2022
In The Wake of Immigration Dependents Skyrocketing, United Kingdom to Plan an Immigration Review?
T The UK's top ministers have dropped hints to the media about the implementation of a new immigration review. Sources say that Ministers of the Home Department are reportedly concerned about the steadily rising number of immigrant dependents. And, as part of an immigration review, the home secretary is likely to look at the number of dependents that international students bring to the UK after statistics showed a fivefold increase.
According to statistics, there were 486,868 sponsored study visas issued during the fiscal year that ended in June 2022, including those for dependents. In comparison to 2019, the last full fiscal year before the pandemic, this represents a 71% increase. Home Office national statistics show sponsored students' dependents received 81,089 of them, or more than five times the total for 2019.
…the government will set out a plan in the coming weeks to ensure the immigration system supports growth whilst maintaining control…
The news of an impending immigration review came to light when a leading British tabloid reported that Home Secretary Suella Braverman is allegedly analysing the dependents' trend and data as part of an immigration review that aims to lower the headline figure while also ensuring that it boosts growth.
An official from the Home Office declined to respond to a question regarding the government's intention to reduce the number of dependents coming to the UK when asked about the review of immigration policy. However, the source did say, "The government will set out a plan in the coming weeks to ensure the immigration system supports growth while maintaining control." The source added, "The government has changed immigration policy to shift the proportion of people coming to the UK to those with skills the UK needs."
The chancellor of the exchequer, Kwasi Kwarteng, presented the 2022 Growth Plan to parliament, which states that "migration, in particular skilled and high-skilled migration, plays an important role in economic growth, productivity, and innovation."
Some in the field of international education are not happy with the proposal, despite the government's claims that it will balance the immigration policy. The ESRC/RE Centre for Global Higher Education's director, Simon Marginson, asserts that "government rhetoric is sometimes totally unreal in terms of real lives in a real society." Stories about dependent international students receiving government aid would sell like hotcakes to the tabloids.
He went on to say that they wouldn't care that international students pay high tuition or that students and their families make a big contribution to the economy.
Posted in News and tagged News, United Kingdom, Immigration, Dependents
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