Target vs Caps
When is an international target, in fact, a de-facto cap? In the 2019 International Education Strategy, the UK government voiced its ambition to increase the value of UK education exports to £35 billion per year, and to increase the number of international higher education students hosted in the UK to 600,000 per year, both by 2030.
When in 2020/21, UK higher education providers hosted 605,130 international students, hitting its 600,000 target a decade earlier than hoped, there was much back slapping and self-congratulating, but it became clear with the MAC review in the run up to the 2024 general election, that this successes could come back to bite a UK sector experiencing record growth in Non-EU students. Fortunately, following a last-minute intervention from the Rt Hon David Cammeron, the Graduate Route remained in its present form. But this does set a precedent: what if the government had seized on the 600,000 figure and made it a cap on international students?
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