Plaid Cymru’s Leanne Wood has asked questions about the effect the Westminster Coalition’s proposals to place tough restrictions on foreign students will have on universities in Wales.
The Con/Dems want to introduce a series of measures that will make it harder for international students to come to the UK. These include restricting the movements of students, their work entitlements and raising the level of English fluency.
The coalition has already withdrawn their attempts to scrap a rule that allows students to look for a job here in the two years after they graduate.
Foreign students are an important source of income for most universities in the UK. A 2009 report from Universities UK, which represents vice chancellors, shows that in 1998/9 there were just 117,290 international students at UK universities. By 2007/8 the figure had risen to 229,640 – an increase of 96%.
In a letter to the Observer over the weekend, 16 vice-chancellors expressed their “profound concern” at the proposals, warning that courses would have to close if the number of foreign students is restricted.
Ms Wood, who is an AM for South Wales Central, brought up the issue during questions to Education Minister Leighton Andrews in plenary after receiving representations from a Welsh University concerned at the anticipated drop in their income should the changes go ahead.
Of the proposed restrictions, she said: “Apart from ruling out large numbers of foreign students, those who would still be eligible might choose not to come because of all the hoops that they would have to jump through.
“Universities are concerned about the impact on their income, given that many receive a lot of students from overseas every year and that they are facing financially difficult years without restrictions on their ability to attract students from overseas.”
Mr Andrews replied that his department was concerned about the implications of the restrictions and that representations had been made to the UK Government.
