The UK’s immigration minister, Mark Harper, has told The PIE News that the government’s tougher student immigration rules are not deterring genuine foreign students, despite fears to the contrary. His comments follow data released last month by the Office of National Statistics which show a significant fall in the number of Tier 4 visas issued last year.

We have tackled abuse of the student route head on — without affecting genuine students. By protecting the reputation of the British education system we will be able to compete in a global race.