The Conservatives had raised the issue of lowering immigration into the UK also in the 2016 ‘Brexit’ campaign. (Photo via X.com) United Kingdom Prime Minister Rishi Sunak posted on X on January 1, “From today, the majority of foreign university students cannot bring family members to the UK.” The policy he referred to is part of measures announced last year for curbing legal migration to the UK. Home Secretary James Cleverly said in Parliament in December, “Migration to this country is far too high and needs to come down”. Recent data from the Office for National Statistics estimated that net migration (the difference between the number of people entering and leaving a region) in 2023 up to June was at 672,000. In 2022, it was 745,000. In the same year, 54% of Nigerian nationals and 23% of Indian nationals were living in the UK on dependent visas for students, followed by Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka). The plan will also stop international students from switching out of the student route into work routes before their studies are complete. Previously, under some conditions, students could begin to work in their final semester. Advertisement What does the new rule say on bringing dependents to the UK? According to the 2023 annual report of the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC), an independent public body that advises the government on immigration policy, the two main drivers of the rise in net migration of late are (i) The growth in migrant workers in Health and Social Care, and (ii) Growing international student numbers. Earlier in May 2023, the government announced a package of measures to reduce the number of student visas being issued. Then Home Secretary Suella Braverman said in a statement, “Around 136,000 visas were granted to dependents [partner or children] ] of sponsored […]