The recent introduction of regulations by the UK government that limit the ability of foreign students to bring their family to the nation has caused controversy and exacerbated differences among the ruling party headed by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.
With immediate effect, the majority of overseas students are subject to the requirements, with the exception of those enrolled in postgraduate research programs or recipients of government-funded scholarships.
The move, which was first made public in May as part of the government’s plan to reduce abuse of the visa system, is expected to prevent about 140,000 people from entering the UK each year.
According to recent figures, the number of student visas awarded increased significantly, from 269,000 in 2019 to 486,000 in the year ending December 2022. Significant growth was also seen in dependent visas, which increased to 136,000 last year from 16,000 in 2019. This is an eight-fold increase.
Home Secretary James Cleverly reaffirmed the government’s commitment to limiting immigration and securing borders while endorsing the regulation revisions. He stated, “This will see migration falling rapidly by the tens of thousands and contribute to our overall strategy to prevent 300,000 people from coming to the UK.”
Opposition voices, such as Shadow Home Secretary Yvette Cooper, contend that the actions are insufficient and only deal with the obvious problems.
Cooper attacked the administration for failing to address more significant skill and labor market issues, even as he supported the ban on dependents for students enrolled in shorter courses. Cooper accused the Tories of hurting growth and aggravating migration.
In a related issue, the government came under fire for abandoning its plan to raise the family visa threshold from £18,600 to £38,700 in the spring, despite having committed to doing so.
The updated schedule now calls for the implementation of the higher threshold in the first half of 2025. Opponents of the revised strategy, some of whom are in Sunak’s own party, have called him “weak.”
Sunak is facing internal party conflict over moving on with the controversial Rwanda program while the immigration debate rages on. Originally intended to reduce the number of small boats crossing the English Channel, the plan ran into legal issues and was declared illegal by the Supreme Court in November. As a result, emergency legislation was passed. Even though the initiative was approved on its second reading in the Commons at the beginning of December, there is still disagreement within the party about it.
Even though the estimated yearly total of Channel crossings in 2023 is 36% lower than the record established in 2022, Prime Minister Boris Johnson still faces opposition from members of his own party over the overall efficacy and moral implications of the Rwanda program. The contentious character of these policy modifications highlights the more general difficulties the administration encounters when negotiating the intricate terrain of immigration reform.