Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent discussions his Department has had with the higher education sector on potential future (a) immigration policies and (b) student exchange programmes.

Department officials engage regularly with stakeholders across the higher education sector, including Universities UK (UUK), the Russell Group, Universities Alliance, MillionPlus, Guild HE, Independent HE and others, on a wide range of issues including the future immigration system and student exchange programmes.

We have made clear that we value international exchange and collaboration in education and training as part of our vision for a global Britain, and are listening to stakeholder views on this issue. My officials have had observer status on work done by UUK and members of the sector on what form a domestic alternative to Erasmus+ could take.

The Home Office has initiated an extensive programme of engagement across the UK on the Immigration White Paper proposals. The Home Office’s Education Advisory Group will meet regularly throughout the engagement period to capture views from the education sector and ensure the government designs a future immigration system that works for the whole of the UK.