Funding lesson Universities fear consequences of clampdown on student visas

Rishi Sunak may not go down in history as "the man who destroyed UK higher education", as one former university leader put it, but the prime minister's willingness to clamp down on international student numbers could end up doing just that, coinciding with what one expert called a funding crisis for universities.

- Richard Adams

At the last general election, the Conservative party under Boris Johnson claimed it would "maintain and strengthen our global position in higher education". The manifesto pledged: "Our student visa will help universities attract talented young people and allow those students to stay on to apply for work here after they graduate." 

But the political climate around immigration has changed dramatically. By the end of last year, James Cleverly, the home secretary, was declaring that "enough is enough", announcing plans to review post-study work visas, which allow international graduates to stay and work in the UK for two years.