EU Nationals

Debate between Brandon Lewis and Jo Stevens

Wednesday 29th November 2017 Commons Chamber

[The Minister for Immigration (Brandon Lewis)]

It is good to have the chance to correct some of the inaccurate things that were stated just a few moments ago, and it was interesting to listen to the Scottish National party spokesman make a speech in which he simply decided not to recognise democracy. There was a referendum in this country, a decision was made and this Government will deliver what the people of the United Kingdom voted for, and we will deliver that in a way that gets a good deal for the United Kingdom.

[Jo Stevens (Cardiff Central) (Lab)]

Will the Minister give way?

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Brandon Lewis and Jo Stevens

Monday 20th November 2017 Commons Chamber

[Brandon Lewis]

I was in India just a couple of weeks ago, and I had some conversations about the pilots we are running in China. The hon. Gentleman is a little premature, because the pilot with China is still running. It is based on a different situation from the situation with us and India, but we will look at that pilot, and I will feed back after it has ended and we have a chance to review it.

[Jo Stevens]

Recent polling by ComRes shows that much of the British public do not consider international students to be immigrants, and they want to see them work for a period here to contribute to the economy. Will the Minister commit to increasing the UK’s post-study work opportunities so that we can continue to attract the brightest and the best students to the UK after Brexit?

[Brandon Lewis]

The hon. Lady makes a good point. These things are always kept under review, but students leaving university as graduates will, with a graduate job, normally be able to qualify under the tier 2 visa system anyway, and I would encourage them to do that.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Brandon Lewis and Jo Stevens

Monday 16th October 2017 Commons Chamber

[Jo Stevens (Cardiff Central) (Lab)]

12. What proportion of international students in the UK have been found to have overstayed their study visa.

[The Minister for Immigration (Brandon Lewis)]

Exit check analysis shows that 97% of students whose visas expired in 2016-17 were recorded as having left in time. That is good evidence that our reforms, from 2010 onwards, to tackle abuse in the education sector have worked.

[Jo Stevens]

If or, as seems likely, when Britain crashes out of the EU with no deal, what will happen at the point of exit to international students here on the Erasmus+ programme, many of whom are in my constituency of Cardiff Central?

[Brandon Lewis]

As I said earlier, there is no limit on the number of students. I am not going to predict the outcome post our negotiations but, as I have said to other colleagues, we are working to get a good deal for the United Kingdom and our partners in Europe.

--- Later in debate ---

[Jo Stevens (Cardiff Central) (Lab)]

T10. This month, Amnesty International accused the Government of breaching international law on account of the increasing number of asylum seekers, including unaccompanied children in particular, being deported to Afghanistan. Last year was the deadliest year on record for civilians there; this year, over 5,000 people have already been killed. Will the Minister commit to changing current Home Office guidance, which states that returning young people to Kabul is considered “reasonable”?

[Brandon Lewis]

We obviously keep all routes of return under review at all times to ensure that when we return people, on the basis of the evidence in the cases before us, we are doing the right thing for those people as well as for the United Kingdom. We will continue to do that, with the best interests of those individuals at heart.