Tussles over immigration

A minister makes his mark, writes Alison Goddard.

James Brokenshire, the new immigration minister, yesterday gave a speech in which he said that international students were welcome to the UK but immediately signaled that he thought most of them were bogus. He also blamed people like the prime minister who employ foreign staff for undermining British workers, which is highly likely to curtain his influence and, indeed, his political career. The Guardian reports that universities and colleges risk losing the right to sponsor students. However the Financial Times reports that (£) employers are calling for restrictions on visas to be eased to address a skills shortage.

International students are paying ever more for British higher education, according to figures released yesterday by the Higher Education Statistics Agency. We have an article, available only to subscribers to HE, which highlights how the growth in income from international students has far outstripped the growth in international students.