UK may ‘kick out foreign graduates’ to curb immigration

Foreign graduates could face being sent back to their home countries under plans to “move towards zero net student migration” reportedly being considered by Britain’s home secretary Theresa May. 

Students from non-European Union countries would have to subsequently apply for a work visa while abroad in order to continue living in the UK after finishing a course of study, Sunday Times reported, instead of being able to apply for one while still on British soil. 

A source close to the home secretary told the newspaper: “Making sure immigrants leave Britain at the end of their visa is as important a part of running a fair and efficient immigration system as controlling who comes here in the first place.” May is also pressing for the power to be able to penalize colleges and universities that would have low success rates in ensuring the departure of foreign graduates and to deprive them of their right to sponsor overseas students, the source added.Under current rules most students can apply for a work visa while still living in the UK, rather than having to leave the country to apply for one before potentially returning. May has repeatedly clashed with Liberal Democrat business secretary Vince Cable about foreign students as he claims that tough rules could discourage them from choosing to study here.