| answer text |
<p>Departmental officials and I meet regularly with the Office for Students to discuss
a wide range of issues.</p><p>The government recognises how important international
students, including those from the EU are, both culturally and economically. We are
proud that for the 2020/21 academic year, we saw positive increases in the number
of EU domiciled entrants by 4% compared to 2019/20.</p><p>We have demonstrated our
commitment to international students through our International Education Strategy
which was updated in February 2021 and can be found here: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/international-education-strategy-2021-update/international-education-strategy-2021-update-supporting-recovery-driving-growth"
target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/international-education-strategy-2021-update/international-education-strategy-2021-update-supporting-recovery-driving-growth</a>.
Through this strategy, we committed to hosting at least 600,000 international higher
education students studying in the UK per year. The latest data shows international
enrolments increased by 9% in the 2020/21 academic year with a total of 605,130 compared
with 556,625 for the previous academic year. This means we have met our international
student’s ambition for the first time, around 10 years early.</p><p>In addition, the
Student Route coupled with the Graduate Route means we now have a world-class student
visa offer befitting our world-class higher education sector. This provides an opportunity
for international students, including EU nationals, who have been awarded their degree
to live and work or look for work in the UK at any skill level for two years, three
for PhDs.</p><p>Through this globally competitive offer, we fully anticipate the UK
continuing to be an attractive destination for students, not only for EU students
but students from across the globe.</p>
|
|
