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London, Mar.18 (ANI): An all-party committee of British MPs has warned Immigration Minister Damian Green not to go ahead with changes in student visa control plans as it could severely damage the country’s education industry, which contributes roughly 40 billion pounds a year to the economy.

The Home Affairs Select Committee cautioned Green saying that the policy was based on flawed evidence. It urged ministers to have a rethink on the proposals that “could cripple the UK education sector,” BBC reports.

The government plans to reduce net migration to the UK from its current level of around 200,000 a year to a few thousand. Net immigration has mainly increased as more foreign students apply to British colleges, language schools and universities.

The MPs said: ” UK universities are facing aggressive competition in a market, which is vital for their future, and Britain might lose out on billions of pounds in income from foreign students if it does not appear to be as welcoming as other countries.”

The committee’s report warns that the UK should learn from the Australia and USA experience, who lost trade after they tightened their student visa systems.

Committee Chairman, Keith Vaz said: ” Students are not migrants. They come from all over the world to study here, contributing to the economy both through payment of fees and wider spending.”

He added: ” Whilst we are right to seek to eliminate bogus colleges and bogus students, we need to ensure that we continue to attract the brightest and the best. If the door is shut they will simply study elsewhere,” suggesting that the government take students out of the net migration figures, thus removing the educational sector from the others.

The committee estimated that foreign students coming to learn English contribute roughly 1.5 billion pounds to the British economy and are estimated to be responsible for about 30000 jobs.

The MPs said: ” It is a sector which boosts tourism and provides a vital route for international students to achieve necessary language skills for UK degree courses.”
The MPs accept the need to keep immigration under control and take steps to prevent abuse, but have also expressed their worries over the huge economic setback that UK will face, if the new visa control regulations are installed. (ANI)