Little hope for net migration change soon

An MP close to David Willetts has admitted defeat on hopes to withdraw students from net migration figures in the near future, writes John Morgan for Times Higher Education. Paul Uppal, parliamentary private secretary to David Willetts, the UK universities and science minister, spoke at a fringe event at the Conservative Party conference last week.

His remarks suggest that the Home Office – which is determined to reduce immigration, including students – has won out over the Department for Business Innovation and Skills. Willetts and Vince Cable, the business secretary, would like to see overseas students withdrawn from the net migration figures, to spare universities negative effects from the government’s drive to reduce net migration to the “tens of thousands” by 2015.
Full report on the Times Higher Education site