Leaving the EU: UK Language Schools

Opened the debate

The sector's last normal year of trading in 2019 saw 550,000 students contributing £1.4 billion to the UK economy, supporting 35,000 jobs. However, EU student groups have dropped by 84% between 2019 and 2022. The strict regulatory framework and the presumption of guilt in issuing licences have led many schools to close or reduce operations.

Government Response

I thank the hon. Member for Ealing Central and Acton for securing the debate, acknowledging the important contribution of English language schools to the UK economy and cultural exchanges. The minister highlighted that focusing solely on language schools without considering broader factors affecting the sector may be shortsighted. He mentioned instances of fraud at language schools in his constituency, which led to closures. Regarding the impact of Brexit on visa requirements, he noted that EU/EEA national identity cards were among the least secure documents and had been abused; thus, their use was ended at borders since October 2021. The minister stated that there was a year's notice provided for the change to allow time for individuals and groups in Europe to plan ahead and obtain passports before travelling. He emphasized that before the change, most EU/EEA citizens arriving in the UK were already using their passports, which enabled them to use e-passport gates available at many ports. The minister also announced plans to reduce the minimum age for passport gate usage from 12 years old, aiming to streamline immigration processes and reduce queues at border control desks. Furthermore, he highlighted extensions of the electronic visa waiver scheme for Saudi and Bahrani citizens, simplifying and reducing the cost of the visa process. In relation to short-term study activities, the government changed immigration rules in 2021 to allow non-visa national students coming for a course of study up to six months to use visitor visas rather than separate short-term study visas. He also introduced a permission to travel requirement and an electronic travel authorisation system similar to those used by countries like the USA, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. The minister acknowledged potential challenges with electronic travel authorisation but noted clear benefits. In addition, he mentioned that citizens of Gulf Co-operation Council nations will be able to obtain an electronic travel authorisation in 2023, simplifying their process and making the UK a more attractive destination for them. He emphasized that permission under the electronic travel authorisation would be similar to arriving as non-visa nationals now, giving up to six months under the visitor route. The minister concluded by noting that focusing on strict Home Office requirements misses broader factors influencing student choices, such as course quality and accommodation availability.