The unforeseen consequences of restricting the migration of student dependents
“Whilst understanding the UK government’s objective to control migration, the potential repercussions of curtailing this route could be substantial”
The recent announcement by the Home Office regarding the restriction of family migration for international students arriving in the UK, from January 2024, has gained significant attention in the context of rising migration figures.
The latest statistics from the ONS confirmed that net migration has peaked to 606,000 in the 12 months to December 2022; far higher than the government’s target – although the largest increase in these figures is down to visas being issued under the Ukraine Schemes and British National (Overseas) route.