The UK government is set to ban most international students from bringing their family over in a crackdown against immigration.
The news comes as new figures, set to be released on Thursday, are expected to show net migration has skyrocketed to 1 million people, with Tory MPs asking the Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, ‘to get a grip on the rocketing numbers.’
According to a report by The Sun UK, the crackdown, which will see all masters students and many other postgraduates banned from bringing family over, will be announced this week.
However, the ban will not apply to PHD students, whose courses usually last between 3 and 5 years and are very highly skilled, the UK media House reported.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak pledged to reduce net migration when he entered Downing Street last year – but he’s likely to come out fighting on these figures.
He inherited them as they date back to to the year ending December 2022, two months after he became prime minister, The Sun reports.
The number of people coming to the UK using a relative’s student visa reached 135,788 last year, which is nine times more than in 2019.
To get a hold of the climbing numbers, UK ministers are said to be expected to announce the immigration clampdown on Thursday.
Home Secretary Suella Braverman reportedly also wanted to increase the salary threshold.
Currently foreign workers have to earn at least £26,000 to move here, but she wanted this upped to £33,000 – the average wage in Britain.
The proposal, also backed by Robert Jenrick, was overruled by the Treasury. Tory MP said: ‘We have got to get a grip.
‘Last year, 59,053 Nigerian students brought over 60,923 relatives.
‘We have got to get a grip,’ a Tory MP told The Sun on Sunday.
