Reports suggest that international students studying in the United Kingdom might face potential deportation if they fail to achieve high grades. As part of a five-point strategy to reduce net migration to 300,000, UK Home Secretary James Cleverly has assigned the MAC the responsibility of reassessing the graduate visa program.
The Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) has indicated that students with low grades might not be permitted to continue residing in the UK. Notably, migration figures in the UK have surged, reaching 745,000 in 2022 from 184,000 in 2019, according to data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS). However, the most recent ONS report shows a 10 percent decrease in net migration, with 672,000 individuals added to the UK population in the year ending June 2023. Over 98,000 students received two-year visas to stay in the UK after completing their studies in June 2023.
Chairman of the MAC, Brian Bell, further clarified that the review of the graduate route should address the key concern of not requiring students to achieve specific grades in their courses.
In efforts to curb immigration, Braverman earlier proposed reducing the number of international students in the UK. Her suggestions include prohibiting international students from bringing their dependents into the country.
Official data indicates a substantial increase in visas granted to international students in the UK, totaling around 500,000 visas issued last year—an increase of 23 percent from the previous year. Furthermore, Indians accounted for one-third of the total sponsored visas issued in the UK in 2022, with 135,000 dependents being granted visas.
