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Yvette Cooper: End student visitor visa loopholes Yvette Cooper: End student visitor visa loopholes
(about 2 hours later)
Student visas loopholes are allowing tens of thousands of people enter the UK without any checks, shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper says. Student visas loopholes are allowing tens of thousands of people to enter the UK without any checks, shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper says.
Ahead of a London speech she told the BBC genuine foreign students were being blocked while short-term student visas are being increasingly abused. Ahead of a London speech she told the BBC genuine foreign students were being blocked while short-term student visas were being increasingly abused.
She said the focus on cutting net immigration target meant the government was not tackling illegal immigration. She said the focus on cutting net immigration meant the government was not tackling illegal immigration.
Ministers say Labour let immigration get out of control while in power.Ministers say Labour let immigration get out of control while in power.
In her speech Ms Cooper will admit that Labour has not always got it right on immigration. In her speech to the Institute for Public Policy Research, Ms Cooper admitted that Labour had not always got it right on the issue while in government and 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 acknowledged that her party had not always been "ready to talk about problems" but said it knew 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 targetNet 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 argued, but would entail distinguishing 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 said. "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." She said fines for firms paying migrants less than the minimum wage should be doubled, councils should be given new enforcement powers to target rogue businesses and landlords and more opportunities created for British workers in sectors with high levels of foreign recruitment.
Ms Cooper told BBC Radio 4's Today 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 told BBC Radio 4's Today 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 said."Few think the answer to Britain's immigration challenges is to persuade more Brits to go away," she said.
She told Today the government's focus on meeting its pledge to reduce net migration by the tens of thousands meant it was failing to tackle problems in other areas - such as short-term student visas.She told Today the government's focus on meeting its pledge to reduce net migration by the tens of thousands meant it was 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 said."Everything excluded from the net migration measure is being ignored - even if it causes serious problems," she said.
She claimed there were 150,000 reports about people possibly abusing student visas, which had not been checked by the UK Border Agency.She claimed there were 150,000 reports about people possibly abusing student visas, which had not been checked by the UK Border Agency.
"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."
'No apology''No apology'
She added: "Because illegal immigration is not included in the target they are not focusing on that when it is the thing that everyone is concerned about." Ms Cooper said 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. She also called for more to be done to stop illegal immigration, with the UK Border Agency carrying out unannounced inspections at colleges and workplaces and officials being given the power of arrest.
"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. On the issue of migration from within the EU, she said it was right for the government to be looking at newcomers ability to access benefits and the health service but this must be done in a "sensible" way.
She also said a future Labour government would insist on maximum transitional controls on migration from countries joining the EU in future.
Immigration minister Mark Harper, responding to Ms Cooper's comments, told Today: "I don't think I heard an apology for Labour letting immigration get out of control while they were in power. We saw net migration of 2.2 million when they were in power.Immigration minister Mark Harper, responding to Ms Cooper's comments, told Today: "I don't think I heard an apology for Labour letting immigration get out of control while they were in power. We saw net migration of 2.2 million when they were in power.
"Our policy of reducing net migration has been successful so far. We've reduced net migration by a third. Most of that has been from a reduction of people coming into the country - 74,000 of the 84,000 reduction in net migration is a reduction in immigration. That's what the Office for National Statistics has said." "Our policy of reducing net migration has been successful so far. We've reduced net migration by a third. Most of that has been from a reduction of people coming into the country - 74,000 of the 84,000 reduction in net migration is a reduction in immigration.
He said Conservatives remained committed to reducing net immigration - the difference between people moving to and leaving the UK - to "tens of thousands" by the next election,He said Conservatives remained committed to reducing net immigration - the difference between people moving to and leaving the UK - to "tens of thousands" by the next election,