The Wonkhe Show Immigration white paper, Jacqui Smith
May 15, 2025
In this engaging discussion, Smita Jamdar, a partner at Shakespeare Martineau, James Coe, Associate Editor at Wonkhe, and Roscoe Hastings from the University of Exeter dive into the implications of the UK's new immigration white paper. They tackle the reduction of the graduate route visa and its potential harm to international student recruitment. The proposed 6% levy on international fees raises eyebrows, highlighting concerns about funding and compliance. They also scrutinize Skills Minister Jacqui Smith's critique of universities, questioning financial accountability and public trust in higher education.
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Local Impact Assessment Challenges
- New requirement to assess local impact will complicate expanding international student numbers.
- Urban areas with multiple institutions like London will find coordination especially challenging.
Tightened Compliance Metrics Risks
- Raising compliance thresholds risks pushing many universities into penalties.
- Some providers with small student numbers are vulnerable to minor events causing compliance failure.
Limited Higher Education Policy Influence
- The Home Office and Treasury drive immigration and funding policies with little consideration for higher education.
- Universities remain invisible in policymaking despite being significantly impacted by immigration controls.