Please find below an oral question that Nicholas Soames raised yesterday at Home Office Questions on student visas. Mr Soames Co-Chairs the Cross Party Group on Balanced Migration with Frank Field (Labour Member for Birkenhead).

Nicholas Soames MP (Mid Sussex) (Con): Does my hon. Friend accept that although of course we warmly welcome students from all over the world to our excellent universities, they must leave when they are meant to do so? May I suggest that he encourages the universities themselves to play a greater part in seeing to it that that happens?

James Brokenshire MP; Minister for Security and Immigration: I agree with my right hon. Friend. There has been abuse of the system, with people coming to this country not to study, but to work. We have worked closely with the universities sector, and there has been a successful pilot with one university to encourage universities to see that students do leave at the end of their studies. We will continue to roll that out, as well as working with immigration enforcement to see that those who are not entitled to be here do leave.

| Hansard