Will Brexit change the future of international students in the UK

By Prashant Rajpal

The term Brexit - 'Britain exit of EU'- was proposed in 2016 and after a series of negotiations for Britain's official departure, is set in March 2019. This process has paved the way for economic and political complications, bringing in its wake a trail of fresh regulations in the trade and immigration system. The outcome of the referendum at large remains uncertain.


The question is, what could Brexit mean for students from the non-European Union.

As the immigration control is pertinent for Brexit, it is likely that the new regulations introduced may have tougher strategies in the context of reducing overall immigration numbers with strict visa formalities.

As it stands now, there are 438,000 international students enrolled at higher education institutions which is equivalent to 19% of all students pursuing higher education qualifications in the UK. The applicants from non EU states were staggering at 11% last year. This is probably as a precursor to Brexit, leading to the fall in pound value and making the prospect of studying cheaper for international students.

The British government might find it difficult to generate the revenue and resources post-Brexit. It is predicted that the higher education system could suffer a loss of 57% of EU students, leading to a loss of revenue amounting to £39.5 million. Depreciation in pound value could however increase fees structure which would create a barrier for the ambitions of international students. On a positive note, assuming predictions are correct, Brexit may open up more job opportunities with decline in immigration of EU students, hoping there is healthy competition between students from EU and non EU states, overcoming the biased nature of selections. However, the government policies could be such, it might reduce the net annual migrants.

Brexit has raised doubts with its unpredictability over immigration. It is still under negotiation whether people from non-EU states will continue to receive some watered-down form of preferential treatment. Nationals outside of the EU are subject to a complex system based on quotas being reserved for highly skilled and talented individuals, as well those who are investors. Indeed in the education sector, the policy decisions seem to be pushing towards a less liberal direction.

(The author is a consultant neuropsychiatrist working in one of the esteemed national health trusts in Cambridge, England).