A new survey, which provides much-needed insight into the intentions of UK-based international students following their higher education studies, has prompted calls to remove international students from the government’s net migration target.
Professor Jane Falkingham, Director of the ESRC Centre for Population Change (CPC), believes that the results of the Survey of Graduating International Students, raises questions about the effectiveness of restrictive UK government policies towards international student migration and the long-term impact that such interventions could have on the attractiveness of Higher Education in the country.
The survey, conducted by the CPC in collaboration with the Office for National Statistics and Universities UK, found that the majority of international students intend to leave the UK when they finish studying. 33% said that they planned to leave the UK immediately, while a further 36% reported they would leave the UK within 12 months. Only 15% of respondents indicated they would like to stay in the UK for longer than a year, and 16% would like to stay permanently (22% of EU students and 13% non-EU students).
Interestingly when asked about their future plans, the majority of respondents were not completely certain, highlighting that international student journeys are complex and that their intentions may change over time. This raises issues for the International Passenger Survey (IPS) – the primary source of data on migration to and from the UK – on their questions regarding intentions to stay.
Find out more about the survey by clicking here.
