The British government has announced an overhaul in its system of issuing student visas. U.K. Home Secretary Theresa May has said the rules for student visas into Britain need to be much tougher. This means a reduction of 25 per cent in the number of visas given to overseas students. Ms. May said new rules are being introduced to stop people trying to gain entry into the country for dishonest reasons. She said student visas were being abused and "too many were here to work and not to study". She told the British government that the misuse of student visas was a "symbol of a broken and abused immigration system,” and that tightening the rules would be "in the best interests of legitimate students.”

Many in politics, education and business have condemned the new law. Opposition Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said it would damage Britain’s economy. She pointed out that the teaching English industry was worth $9 billion a year. Ms. Cooper warned the government was trying to keep political promises about cutting immigration numbers, rather than to improve the visa system. In a fiery exchange, she said that Ms. May should act "in the interests of a sensible, controlled migration policy, rather than taking risks with an important export industry". University spokeswoman Sally Hunt said: "The government's student visa plans are short-sighted and risk sending out the worrying message that the UK is closed for business."