Short blog on my initial thoughts on the recent communiqué on increase in visa fees and IHS to fund pay rise. Blog also includes snippets sent to PIE news to be published later today.
Strikes have resounded across the UK for more than a year now: railway workers, teachers, doctors, postal workers; Civil Servants have had it to the neck with the cost of living crisis. On July 13th, the British PM announced the government’s intention to increase immigration fees and the Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS) to contribute towards ~6% pay rise to millions of public sector workers in the UK. This move is the most expected and least tactical in the long term. In the educational context, what does this entail?
Just a few months earlier, the government unveiled plans that baffled international students’ human rights and well-being, restricting international students (other than PostGraduate Researcher students) from bringing family members. It is sarcastic that international students will now have to pay more in visa fees and IHS to cover pay rises promised by the government for civil servants in the UK for the well-being of public servants and their family members. What we see here is a typical Conservatives ideology: foreigners and their families do not matter v/s British people and their family matter above all. Of course, it is more than justifiable for any country to look after the benefit of its citizens, but not to the extent of hampering the well-being of others who are already the holy grail key sectors in the UK: NHS and the higher educational sector.
Bearing in mind that the highest number of international students are from India and China, increasing international student visa fees and IHS will come in handy for the short term to appease tensions in the general public and unions. With India now being the 5th largest economy (surpassing the UK), and China already positioning as 2nd (way above the UK ranked 6th), however one cannot be optimism for the prospects of the British economy, simply because it is not well thought through. Having to rely on international students to cover internal budgeting will further damage Great Britain’s reputation both in the educational sector and in the global economy.
This year, the US introduced further restrictions on international students; it will not take much time for Australia and Canada to profit from that. Already, Australia provided substantial financial aid and support to international students during Covid contrary to the UK, thus positioning itself as a haven to international students in times of distress, and Canada has always been loud and clear about how open it is to attracting international talent (both students and low and high skilled workers).
The UK has been a leader in higher education and a major destination for international students in the past, mostly for Oxbridge’d reputation in academia, and being an English-speaking country. But that’s long gone now! International students from both majority English-speaking countries and non-English-speaking countries are earnestly learning new languages for higher education and business in Europe and Asia. Europe offers more academic freedom and research to international students, and the added benefit of exploring Europe with little to no hassle.
England has already closed itself with Brexit and further closing international perspectives in the educational sector is a series of time bombs that will explode after the 2025 elections and be someone else’s problem, it will be OUR problem, not the current government’s.
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