500,000 Foreign Students Are Missing - The Story HM Government Want to Keep Hidden - 1.1 million Could be Lost in UK by 2028!
- Aug 29
- 3 min read
In 2024, student visas made up 45% of all UK entry visas—the largest legal migration route. The government aimed for 600,000 international students by 2030 but reached the target in 2022. Universities recruit freely and charge higher fees to overseas students, increasing migration through this channel. Projections show that 500,000 recent graduates have stayed after their visas expired and lost in the UK, and if trends continue, up to one million could remain "lost" in the next three years.
Collapse of Nigerian Currency Almost Bankrupts University of Dundee, because of its overreliance on Nigerian students.
Implementing an annual cap on migrant admissions is proposed as an effective strategy for managing migration levels. Since Work, Family, and Student visas constitute the primary entry routes, these channels should be examined closely when considering such measures. It is important to understand the factors contributing to the growth of each stream, instances of misuse, potential risks posed to key sectors, and approaches for introducing a cap.
A significant proportion of international students originate from China, India, Pakistan, and Nigeria, with the first three accounting for over half of all entrants. While this is often presented as “exporting world-class education,” the higher education sector has shown increasing reliance on overseas economies, highlighted by cases such as Dundee University’s financial difficulties following the depreciation of the Nigerian currency, due to its dependency on Nigerian students.
Shockingly, there have been instances of misuse within the system. Some applicants have been found using shared bank balances to meet financial requirements, enrolling in academic programs without the intention to study, or arriving and subsequently applying for asylum. Close to half of all asylum claims from visa holders are made by former students. The Graduate Visa route, which allows two years of unrestricted work after study, is frequently used as a pathway to remain in the UK. For instance, while Indian nationals account for 22% of study visas, they represent over 41% of graduate visas, indicating significant usage of this route.
The increase in numbers has also been influenced by the presence of students’ dependants. Previously, most postgraduate students were permitted to bring family members, who could work full-time. In 2023, there were 135,000 dependant visas issued, similar to the average net migration figure for the early 2000s. In 2024, this policy was revised to restrict dependants to those accompanying PhD students, leading to a decrease in numbers.
Additionally, universities have shifted their recruitment focus from elite institutions to those with lower rankings. Since 2013, the number of visas issued to students at these institutions has more than doubled, although only one non-Russell Group university is listed among the global top 100. This trend indicates a change in the pattern of international student recruitment in the UK.
Changing the Fabric, Heritage and Culture of British Academia due to Majority Foreign Students
The University of Dundee is actively addressing issues faced by its Black students and staff through various initiatives, including a Race Equality Charter that aims to tackle systemic racial inequalities and decolonize the curriculum. This involves creating supportive environments, undertaking public engagement on slavery links, and implementing a comprehensive action plan developed with Black staff, students, and other stakeholders.
The university acknowledges its huge foreign population of students. There are huge numbers of blacks entering the university from overseas, they are changing the very fabric of British curricula and fabric by their own agenda putting pressure on the executive management of the university and to ensure it remains solvent the Universities are bending over backwards to accommodate foreign demands.
Britain is in trouble - this being the understatement in three generations.
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