Mike Weatherley, the Conservative MP for Hove and Portslade, has backed a Parliamentary Motion which recognises the significant contribution made by international students studying in the UK and calls for university students to be removed from any target to reduce net migration.
Early Day Motion 739 (International Students and Net Migration Targets) highlights the importance of students who study in the UK, to both our society and the economy. Mike believes that in any drive to reduce net migration, it should not be an unintended consequence that student numbers are restricted as a result of certain targets.
He said: “Our city is a huge beneficiary of international students who choose to come and study in our country. It is of course important to have a sensible immigration policy, which is why I hope that the Government will exclude university students from any drive to reduce net migration.”
Cllr Graham Cox, Conservative prospective parliamentary candidate for Hove and Portslade, added: “Hove and Portslade are very welcoming to international students and it would be a great loss to residents, and the students, if numbers were affected in order to meet targets for reducing net migration.”
Early Day Motion 739 – INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS AND NET MIGRATION TARGETS
That this House recognises the enormous cultural, academic and economic contribution that international students studying at UK universities make to the country; is concerned at the dramatic drop in students enrolling to study at UK universities from some of the UK’s major international trading partners; believes that the public does not generally view international students to be migrants and does not wish to see their number reduced; and urges the Government to exclude university students from efforts to bear down on immigration including by removing university students from any target to reduce net migration.