Sunak warned against ‘talking up’ overseas student dependant rule

The UK government has been urged to avoid “talking up” a tightening of the rules on overseas students’ ability to bring family members into the country or risk “long-term damage” to the nation’s international reputation, after prime minister Rishi Sunak trumpeted the change as “delivering for the British people”.

The changes to the rules on overseas students’ dependants came into effect on 1 January, meaning those on taught master’s courses can no longer bring family members into the UK. Overseas students on postgraduate research courses remain able to do so.

A Conservative government desperate to reduce the level of net migration into the UK has been keen to draw attention to the change, deepening existing concern among universities about the deterrent effect on potential international students – an increasingly vital source of cross-subsidy for UK institutions as domestic teaching funding declines.

Mr Sunak said on X, formerly known as Twitter, on 1 January: “From today, the majority of foreign university students cannot bring family members to the UK. In 2024, we’re already delivering for the British people.”

That message retweeted the Home Office, which had said: “We are fully committed to seeing a decisive cut in migration. From today, new overseas students will no longer be able to bring family members to the UK.”

Not displayed in Mr Sunak’s retweet – as a result of the way in which X displays quoted messages – was the next line of the Home Office’s message: “Postgraduate research or government-funded scholarships students will be exempt.”

There was critical reaction to the messages from some in higher education. Sir Richard Evans, emeritus Regius professor of history at the University of Cambridge, responded on X to Mr Sunak’s message: “This is so short-sighted and arrogant.”

Jamie Arrowsmith, the director of Universities UK International, said: “The government is clearly under pressure on immigration, but they must be careful not to damage a source of real advantage for the UK by talking up the restrictions introduced this week.

“PhD students are, in fact, still allowed to bring dependants. Undergraduate students were not allowed to do so before these changes came into effect. The restrictions this week relate to students on taught master’s programmes only.”

UK universities are increasingly fearing a funding crisis as funding for home students falls across the nations and as the first signs of a potential fall in overseas recruitment emerge.

Mr Arrowsmith said that, post-pandemic, the “fact that other destinations are now competing strongly, coupled with negative rhetoric from government and a global economic slowdown, has already led to some striking decreases in enrolments this year”.

He added: “In looking to make political capital out of changes focused on reducing the number of dependants accompanying students on a particular type of programme, there is a very real risk of long-term damage to the UK’s reputation – leading to an over-correction that not only affects universities but has a much wider economic impact, given that a single cohort of international students generates over £41 billion for the UK economy.”

john.morgan@timeshighereducation.com