The recent introduction of regulations by the UK government that limit the ability of foreign students to bring their families to the nation has caused controversy and exacerbated divisions within the ruling party headed by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.
With immediate effect, the majority of international students are subject to the regulations, with the exception of those enrolled in postgraduate research programmes or recipients of government-funded scholarships.
The move, which was first made public in May as part of the government’s plan to reduce abuse of the visa system, is expected to prevent about 140,000 people from entering the UK each year.
According to recent statistics, the number of student visas issued increased significantly, from 269,000 in 2019 to 486,000 in the year ending December 2022. Significant growth was also seen in dependent visas, which increased to 136,000 last year from 16,000 in 2019. This is an eight-fold increase.
Home Secretary James Cleverly reaffirmed the government’s commitment to limiting immigration and securing borders while endorsing the rule changes. He said, “This will see migration falling rapidly by the tens of thousands and contribute to our overall strategy to prevent 300,000 people from coming to the UK.”
Opposition voices, such as Shadow Home Secretary Yvette Cooper, contend that the actions are insufficient and only deal with the obvious problems. Cooper criticised the government for failing to address more significant skill and labour market issues, even as he supported the restriction on dependents for students enrolled in shorter courses. Cooper accused the Tories of undermining growth and aggravating migration.
In a related development, the government came under fire for abandoning its pledge to implement a stricter family visa threshold in its efforts to increase it from £18,600 ($23,664) to £38,700 ($49,237) in the spring.
