The UK higher education sector is ¡°paying the price¡± for irresponsible increases in international student numbers at some universities as further restrictions are proposed, according to a former home secretary who also criticised the ¡°racket¡± of students turning themselves into asylum seekers.

Last month the Westminster government announced a reduction of the graduate visa to 18 months and a new levy on income from overseas student fees in a White Paper which warned that the student visa system was being undermined by some providers.

Jack Straw, who served as home secretary in the last Labour government from 1997 to 2001, said incumbent Yvette Cooper had a much more difficult job than he did because the Conservative government had let ¡°immigration get completely out of control¡±.

Speaking at a conference organised by language testing firm Duolingo, Straw, who was also foreign secretary in the Blair administration, said overseas student numbers have fallen slightly for Russell Group universities in recent years but ¡°expanded dramatically¡± for those placed between 600 and 1,200 in the?51³Ô¹Ï World University Rankings.

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¡°There has to be a question there about the fact that some universities in that category have been chasing students and not paying attention to rigorous controls¡­and if you do that, the rest of the sector will pay the price,¡± he said.

Straw, who was shadow education secretary from 1987 to 1992, said leading universities typically ensured they did diligence and compliance checks on students but warned that problems arise ¡°at the other end of the market¡±.

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¡°Many of these institutions do worthy things but, to be blunt about it, they¡¯re not the reason why we have such a good reputation internationally when it comes to intellectual achievement.¡±

The former lawyer said the recent immigration White Paper was ¡°not bad¡± for the sector.

¡°I¡¯m not in any doubt that the additional controls which are set out in the White Paper will happen, and that may put a squeeze on some universities but, bluntly, some of the business models which universities in that category were following were not sustainable,¡± he said.

The White Paper?said it was essential that students entering the country are ¡°genuinely here to do so and not using their application for a student visa simply as a vehicle to move themselves and their dependants to a new life in Britain¡±.

It found that the majority of the students claiming asylum do so as they approach their visa expiry date, which the government said indicates that ¡°some people might therefore be using the student route to make claims for humanitarian protection when circumstances in their country have not changed¡±.

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While there are many people deserving of asylum, Straw criticised the practice of switching from student visas and said ministers ¡°should have no truck with that at all¡±.

¡°Everybody knows it¡¯s a racket, and there are a lot of people, particularly immigration advisers and lawyers, who are making money out of this racket, and people in the Labour Party¡­should object thoroughly to that racket and be determined that we should deal with it.¡±

Speaking at the Duolingo event, Jamie Arrowsmith, director of Universities UK International, described the White Paper as a ¡°compromise¡± and said that while many in the sector will be disappointed by it, they were probably not surprised.

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¡°There are lots of things within that White Paper¡­which will be challenging for institutions, but I think in terms of what could have actually come through¡­I don¡¯t think it¡¯s as tough as it could have been.¡±

Prior to the publication of the White Paper, there were fears that access to the graduate route could have been restricted to certain professions, or that access to student visas themselves could have been limited.

Speaking after Straw¡¯s comments, Anne-Marie Graham, chief executive of the UK Council for International Student Affairs, said the higher education sector was highly compliant with visa rules.

¡°It is in no sponsor¡¯s interest not to be compliant because they would lose their licence,¡± she said.

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¡°It¡¯s important we push back on the narrative that poor compliance is a widespread problem. [UK Visas and Immigration] and institutions already collaborate through the audit process to identify any exceptional issues and address them on a case-by-case basis.¡±

patrick.jack@timeshighereducation.com