Brain drain fear as EU students snub Scottish universities

European student numbers have slumped at Scottish universities since the Brexit vote, prompting fears the United Kingdom government’s hardline immigration approach risks “shutting Scotland off from the rest of the world”, writes Scott Macnab for The Scotsman.

There has been a 10% decline in the number of EU students enrolling at Scots institutions since 2016 following years of steady growth, official figures show. The Scottish National Party (SNP) had blamed the fall on the Tory government’s hostile approach to immigration in a week that saw Westminster unveil radical plans to end the open migration of unskilled labour from Europe.

Nationalist Aberdeen Central MSP Kevin Stewart said: “Scotland has some of the best universities in the world, so it’s no surprise that students from across the globe flock here to study. But after years of steady growth in the number of European students choosing Scotland, it is extremely worrying to see just how big an impact this Tory Brexit is having on our top-rate higher education system.”
Full report on The Scotsman site