A recent analysis by the Sun on Sunday reveals that Britain's increasing reliance on cheap labor in care homes and a surge in international students bringing their dependents are major factors behind the significant rise in net migration. Almost 20% of care home staff in England are foreign nationals, while the dependents of international university students contribute to record high immigration figures. Additionally, nearly 20% of university tuition fees come from overseas students.
Care Home Labor
Care home bosses have increasingly turned to foreign workers due to the inclusion of care jobs on the Government's shortage occupation list in February 2022. Between March 2022 and 2023, an estimated 70,000 foreign workers arrived in the UK to work in direct care roles in the independent sector. This is a significant increase compared to previous years, which saw 20,000 arrivals in 2021/22 and 10,000 in the preceding 12 months.
International Students' Dependents
Data from the Office for National Statistics shows a 14-fold increase in the number of partners or children accompanying international students from outside the EU over the past four years. The number of dependents staying in the UK for 12 months or longer jumped from 7,000 in the year to June 2019 to 96,000 this year. Including dependents staying for less than a year, the figure rises to 154,000 for the year to June 2023.
Impact on Universities
Universities heavily rely on international students, who pay higher tuition fees compared to UK students. In the 2021/22 academic year, universities collected £8.9 billion in non-EU fees and just over £1 billion from EU fees, totaling 21% of the £46.8 billion in total revenue. Non-EU fees increased from £7.4 billion in 2020/21 and £4.6 billion in 2016/17.
Record High Net Migration
The revised net migration figures for last year reached an all-time high of 745,000, surpassing the previous estimate of 606,000. To address the issue, the government has announced a ban on international students bringing dependents, which will take effect in January. The Immigration Minister is also considering stopping foreign students from staying in the UK after completing their studies.
Concerns and Reactions
Experts warn that imposing caps on foreign social care workers' dependents may impact the sector's ability to meet the growing demand for care. Tory MP Marco Longhi criticized the allowance of student dependents, calling it "madness" and questioning why it hasn't been stopped despite previous discussions. Think tank Migrant Watch demands an explanation from the government, suggesting that the rise in net migration was either a result of naivety or a deliberate effort to attract cheaper workers. Former Tory minister Ann Widdecombe suggests implementing a policy for international students to return home after completing their studies and cracking down on low-quality degrees.
Despite these concerns, the Home Secretary, James Cleverly, assures that the government has taken action to reduce migration by addressing the rise in students bringing dependents to the UK.
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