Question answered on Monday 10 July 2017

On Monday 4 July, Catherine West MP (Labour) asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether it is her Department’s policy to include student numbers in official migration statistics.

Answered on 10 July 2017 by Minister of State for Immigration, Brandon Lewis:

International students are included in net migration statistics that are produced by the independent Office for National Statistics (ONS). In line with the internationally agreed UN definition, these statistics define a migrant as someone changing their normal place of residence for more than a year. Students are therefore included in the same way as other migrants. Other countries, such as the United States, Canada, and Australia also include students in their net migration figures. Like other migrants, students who stay for longer than 12 months have an impact on communities, infrastructure and services while they are here, so it is right that they are included in the net migration count.

There is no limit to the number of genuine international students who can come to study in the United Kingdom and there are no plans to change this