Migration Watch UK
October 13, 2016
Commenting, Lord Green of Deddington, Chairman of Migration Watch UK said:
This seems to be a partial leak of a first analysis of the exit checks which came into force eighteen months ago. At this stage it is quite unclear what the reported figure of 1% refers to. Indeed it is impossible to draw any conclusions without knowing the full extent of the analysis.
The fact remains that there is no evidence in the International Passenger Survey for the departure of tens of thousands of foreign students. There are only two explanations for this. Either they are in fact staying on in huge numbers or the IPS on which all immigration numbers are based is seriously unreliable.
It is essential that the Home office discloses the full extent of their analysis so that the immigration statistics can be verified. It is in everyone’s interests, including the university sector, that this be resolved.