Suella Braverman wants to restrict two-year graduate visas but has faced opposition from #10, the Treasury Department and the Department of Education. : Leon Neal/Getty Images
The government's migration czar backed plans for a hard ban on foreign visas for graduates amid cabinet row over immigration.
The Prime Minister and the Chancellor are reportedly resisting calls to reduce the right of foreign students to stay for two years after graduation, despite concerns that the scheme is open to abuse.
In an interview with the Telegraph, Professor Brian Bell, The Chair of the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) said that five years ago, when the two-year visa was introduced, she warned the government that she could offer graduates a workaround to stay in the UK in low-skill jobs.
This contributed to a 10-fold increase in the number of international students bringing their dependents to the UK. Since 2018, the number of postgraduate dependents has increased from 16,000 to 135,000. There are also 73,000 students receiving graduate visas.
1,205 student visas
The combination of a two-year visa and “generous” dependency rules has contributed to an increase in net migration, despite the promise of the Tory manifesto. to reduce it.
Clearly, Home Secretary Swella Braverman wants to restrict such visas, but has faced opposition from No. 10, the Treasury Department and the Department of Education.
Professor Bell, professor of economics at the Royal School of Business at King's College London, said the graduate visa gives foreign students “virtually unlimited work rights” for two years at the price of a year's master's degree.
Master's students can bring their spouses and children, and then stay with them on a graduate visa.
Professor Bell said that the MAC found that students who remained after graduation were often in low-skilled, low-paid jobs that did little good for the economy.
“An offer to do whatever you want for two years seems unnecessary to us, which is why I personally have never advocated en masse for graduates,” he said.
Professor Bell said fewer international students would mean a reduction in GDP. However, according to him, a large number of dependents can increase the burden on taxpayers, for example, through the cost of education.
The Telegraph may also report that the Treasury has warned that Ms Braverman's proposals to cut the number of foreign workers coming to the UK will cause inflation.
It comes as the government prepares for net migration to hit a record a high level of around 700,000 when data is released next week.
1205 UK total net migration
Writing for The Telegraph, James Frain, Public First's election strategist, warned the Tories that this week's Migration Data will have an “immediate, direct impact on the polls.”
Ms Braverman insisted to cancel the visa and only allow graduates to stay for six months to find work, as originally proposed by MAC in 2018. His advice was ignored.
She also proposed to ban one Student Cadets bringing dependents. The policy is close to agreement.
Professor Bell said it was “perfectly reasonable” for the government, but not for graduate students.
An internal report from a meeting in Whitehall last October showed her disappointment when the number of dependents reached 80,000.
“She believes that more than 80,000 visas for dependents is too much,” the message says.
“She described the graduate visa as something that says you can stay here for two years and you don't have to work and you don't have to study.”
In addition to disagreements over graduate visas, Ms. Braverman disagrees with the Treasury Department over foreign workers.
The Home Secretary advocates limiting foreign labor by raising the minimum wage threshold for skilled workers, which is currently time £26,200.
In her speech last week, she also said the UK should fill vacancies with truck drivers, butchers and fruit pickers.
However, these measures will not be taken this week due to the ministry's fears of exacerbating the labor shortage.
The Treasury believes that this will fuel wage inflation, pushing up prices in the economy as a whole.
A source said: “We have to get rid of inflation, it's destructive.”
A minister from another Whitehall department shared concerns about the “inflationary effect.”
“My number one priority is to find people to work with,” the minister said.
However, the Tory right has criticized the Treasury Department amid a growing civil war within the party over immigration. .
Miriam Cates, MP for Peniston and Stocksbridge, said: “Since almost unlimited migration is allowed, we have no incentive to educate our own.”
A former minister said: “Migration in such quantities only leads to orthodox US Treasury policies of low wages, slow growth, and low skills.”
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Attack on other MPs Mrs. Braverman amid accusations she “positions” in anticipation of a future coup in the party leadership.
One senior conservative said: “There is a clear shortage of labor in some areas, and not all of them are low-skilled , and obviously we can't find any homegrown workers for it.
“Suella, who brags about her deeds and positions herself for the next leader, is just extremely disruptive and demoralizing for people in marginal positions.”
A former cabinet minister said: “All we hear from Suella is loud self-positioning speeches and rhetoric, but it all comes down to what she does and what she does, and I haven't seen anything yet.”
Professor Bell “guessed” this from the number of international students and humanitarian visas for a group like Ukrainians are declining, net migration will start to decline.
He said it could drop to 500,000 by next year's general election before stopping at 200-250,000.
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No 10 sources have denied the visa policy block, saying Rishi Sunak has not yet considered options.
They pointed out that this week's migration data was a result of the policies of his predecessors, and said he was looking to bring it down.
A Treasury source said Jeremy Hunt supports reducing the country's reliance on foreign labor and helping Britons outside the labor market get back to work.
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