Westminster urged to do U-turn on overseas students

Education Correspondent

Monday 8 October 2012

PRESSURE is mounting on the Westminster Government to cave in over an immigration clampdown that threatens to damage UK universities.

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Andrew Denholm Education Correspondent

The SNP has written again to Government ministers in London calling for a U-turn on the policy, which threatens to restrict the number of overseas students universities can recruit.

The move follows comments by the Scottish Council for Development and Industry (SCDI) last week that the tightening of student visas was its "biggest source of concern" in relation to Scotland's universities.

The comments were made at the Scottish Parliament's education committee on Tuesday when the SCDI said Westminster's restriction of student visas was "a huge challenge to universities socially and financially and to Scotland economically". International students bring in millions of pounds to the Scottish economy, bring huge social benefits and improve Scotland's international prestige when people with a Scottish education go on to hold senior positions in companies around the world, the SCDI said.Asked whether the SCDI was satisfied with the response it had received from the UK Government to its efforts to make the case against tightening student visas, spokesman James Alexander responded "not at this stage".Following his comments, SNP MSP Joan McAlpine, who sits on the education committee, said Westminster should pay heed to the warnings. She has now written to Minister for Immigration Mark Harper calling on him to urgently address the concerns raised by the SCDI."I was shocked to hear the extent to which Westminster was allowing Scotland's university research sector to be jeopardised, which is why I have written to the Immigration Minister," she said."Scotland's universities are responsible for 12.4% of UK research. That achievement has in part been made possible thanks to the contribution of international students and it is essential that Westminster's approach does not stifle the sector."Last year, some of Scotland's leading universities wrote to the Home Secretary calling for institutions north of the Border to be made exempt from tough new immigration laws.The letter from the principals of Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh, St Andrews and Glasgow universities, says restricting overseas students will threaten their world-class status.The moves come after the Coalition's decision to tighten up the issuing of student visas as part of wider restrictions on immigration.

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Westminster urged to do U-turn on overseas students

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