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| Yvette Cooper: End student visitor visa loopholes | Yvette Cooper: End student visitor visa loopholes |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| The government is failing to tackle loopholes in student visas which are seeing tens of thousands of people enter the UK, shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper is expected to warn. | The government is failing to tackle loopholes in student visas which are seeing tens of thousands of people enter the UK, shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper is expected to warn. |
| In a speech at a London think tank, she will say genuine foreign students are being blocked while short-term student visas are being increasingly abused. | |
| Ms Cooper will admit that Labour has not always got it right on immigration. | Ms Cooper will admit that Labour has not always got it right on immigration. |
| It comes after party leader Ed Miliband also admitted Labour had made mistakes. | |
| In political broadcast on Wednesday, he said the party had been wrong to dismiss people's concerns about immigration while it was in power. | |
| Speaking at the Institute for Public Policy Research, Ms Cooper will say the impact of immigration must be properly managed so it is "fair for all". | Speaking at the Institute for Public Policy Research, Ms Cooper will say the impact of immigration must be properly managed so it is "fair for all". |
| She will acknowledge that her party hasn't always been "ready to talk about problems" but will say it knows that "that needs to change". | She will acknowledge that her party hasn't always been "ready to talk about problems" but will say it knows that "that needs to change". |
| Net migration target | Net migration target |
| This will not mean a "move to the right" she will argue - but will be an effort to distinguish between "immigration that works and immigration that doesn't". | This will not mean a "move to the right" she will argue - but will be an effort to distinguish between "immigration that works and immigration that doesn't". |
| "As Ed Miliband has said, we know Labour got some things wrong on immigration in government," she will say. | "As Ed Miliband has said, we know Labour got some things wrong on immigration in government," she will say. |
| "We will support the government where it introduces sensible policies and we will point out where they are getting things wrong. | "We will support the government where it introduces sensible policies and we will point out where they are getting things wrong. |
| "But we won't enter an arms race of rhetoric on immigration - and we hope the prime minister won't either. That's not honest, or good for Britain." | "But we won't enter an arms race of rhetoric on immigration - and we hope the prime minister won't either. That's not honest, or good for Britain." |
| Ms Cooper will point out that the reduction in net migration of 72,000 since the election has been caused by more Britons leaving the UK or choosing not to return, as well as a drop of 38,000 in students coming to study in the UK. | Ms Cooper will point out that the reduction in net migration of 72,000 since the election has been caused by more Britons leaving the UK or choosing not to return, as well as a drop of 38,000 in students coming to study in the UK. |
| "Few think the answer to Britain's immigration challenges is to persuade more Brits to go away," she will say. | "Few think the answer to Britain's immigration challenges is to persuade more Brits to go away," she will say. |
| And she will argue the government's focus on meeting its pledge to reduce net migration by the tens of thousands means it is failing to tackle problems in other areas - such as short-term student visas. | And she will argue the government's focus on meeting its pledge to reduce net migration by the tens of thousands means it is failing to tackle problems in other areas - such as short-term student visas. |
| "Everything excluded from the net migration measure is being ignored - even if it causes serious problems," she will claim. | "Everything excluded from the net migration measure is being ignored - even if it causes serious problems," she will claim. |
| "Legitimate university students are included in the target even though they bring billions into Britain - and those are being squeezed. | "Legitimate university students are included in the target even though they bring billions into Britain - and those are being squeezed. |
| "Yet student visitor visas aren't included - and growing abuse in that category is being ignored. Stronger checks are needed on shorter-term student visitor visas." | "Yet student visitor visas aren't included - and growing abuse in that category is being ignored. Stronger checks are needed on shorter-term student visitor visas." |
| Ms Cooper will say the number of such visas has gone up by 30,000 a year since the election even though applicants do not have to meet any academic requirements to be eligible and no checks are made on whether they study or overstay. | Ms Cooper will say the number of such visas has gone up by 30,000 a year since the election even though applicants do not have to meet any academic requirements to be eligible and no checks are made on whether they study or overstay. |
| "The Borders Inspector has already warned this route is open to abuse for those who are coming not to study but for low-skilled work instead," she will add. | "The Borders Inspector has already warned this route is open to abuse for those who are coming not to study but for low-skilled work instead," she will add. |
| The shadow home secretary will also call for "faster, stronger enforcement" of illegal immigration, another area where she says things have got "significantly worse since the election". | The shadow home secretary will also call for "faster, stronger enforcement" of illegal immigration, another area where she says things have got "significantly worse since the election". |