Damaging immigration denials continue to frustrate

The Institution of Chemical Engineers (IChemE) has given its full support to a new House of Lords report criticising the UK Government’s immigration policy and its negative impact on science, technology and competitiveness.

The House of Lords Science and Technology Select Committee report – called International Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) students¹ – described the UK as ‘unwelcoming’ to students and believes a ‘contradictory’ Government immigration policy has led to a ten per cent decline in international STEM student enrolments over the last two years.

In a 464-page evidence report² the Lords concluded that complicated rules, a constantly shifting immigration policy, expensive visas and insufficient time to seek work after study all contributed to the fall in overseas student numbers.

The Lords is calling for a simpler UK immigration policy, including treating student numbers separately from immigration policy, reviewing the UK’s student package every two years to make sure is globally competitive and improving the way information is provided to international students.³

Responding to the report, the Home Office said: 'We do not accept that the UK's immigration rules are deterring international students and there is no clear evidence in the report to support that argument – where some courses and countries have seen falling numbers, other countries and courses are on the rise.'

Dr David Brown, chief executive of IChemE, said: “I wholeheartedly welcome the House of Lords’ report and endorse its recommendations.  

“Both the immigration regime itself and the often poisonous rhetoric surrounding the subject of immigration are damaging to the interests and the reputation of the UK.  

“While we commend the sound work of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, it is our opinion that other Ministers – especially Home Office Ministers – stand guilty of working against the UK’s competitiveness and the health of one of its most successful sectors – higher education.

“In addition to implementing the report’s recommendations in full, including the removal of students for policy-making purposes, we call upon the UK Government  to repair some of the damage it has done by launching a high-profile promotional campaign on the theme:  ‘Britain - open for science, open for talent, open for business’.  

“In parallel, universities and the professions should assemble and publicise a series of case examples where those who have studied in the UK have gone on to succeed in industry, science and technology to the benefit of the UK.”

Last month, IChemE called for an evidence-based immigration policy and added its voice to concerns that Government had delayed publication of a report which suggested that the potential impact of immigration on UK employment may have been exaggerated.⁴