Students make China the top source of migrants coming to Britain: 40,000 arrive from country in the past year


  • Office for National Statistics said most go home when their studies finish
  • Numbers from India reduced because of Home Office visa restrictions
  • Figures suggest China has overtaken India as the largest source of immigrants


By STEVE DOUGHTY
PUBLISHED: 19:30 EST, 28 November 2013 | UPDATED: 19:30 EST, 28 November 2013

China has become the country that sends the greatest number of migrants to Britain, yesterday’s migration figures revealed.

But the Office for National Statistics said most Chinese coming to Britain are students and leave when their courses finish.

Figures from the International Passenger Survey, taken among people passing through ports and airports, revealed that 40,000 immigrants from China arrived in the 12 months to June.

Cycle: The Office for National Statistics revealed that most Chinese people coming to Britain are students and go home again when their courses have finished

That represents 8.7 per cent of the total and suggests that China has overtaken India as the leading source of immigrants.

The ONS said the other leading countries were India (37,000 or 8 per cent of all immigrants), Poland and the US (both 29,000 or 6.3 per cent) and Australia (27,000 or 5.8 per cent).




However China is also high on the list of countries to which people living in Britain are emigrating – indicating that large numbers of students who have lived in Britain during their courses are returning.

Some 16,000 people, more than five per cent of all emigrants, left Britain for China last year, according to the survey.

Separate figures produced by Ucas, the universities admissions service, show that applications from non-EU residents are at record levels.

Overseas students: Separate figures produced by Ucas, the universities admissions service, show that applications from non-EU residents are at record levels (file picture)

So far 17,460 have requested places at UK universities in 2014 – around one in eight overall and a rise of 5,000 on 2007.

Universities can take unlimited numbers of students from outside the European Union and charge annual tuition fees of up to £35,000, leading to claims they are treated as ‘cash cows’ to plug holes in the higher education budget.

There has been evidence that universities have been awarding places to overseas students with only ‘competent’ language skills.

As Home Office restrictions on work and student visas took effect, numbers coming from India fell from 61,000 in 2011 to 37,000 in 2012, it added..

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