New Delhi: Former UK universities minister Jo Johnson Tuesday suggested an “emergency scheme” to aid international students in the US, after the Trump administration announced that they will have to leave the country if universities opt for online classes.
Johnson, who is UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s brother, took to Twitter and said the scheme should enable willing students, who meet admission requirements, to transfer to universities in UK.
Would be great if we could set up an emergency scheme to enable any willing students meeting suitable admissions requirements to transfer to UK institutions… https://t.co/KnjbQTdGtK
— Jo Johnson (@JoJohnsonUK) July 7, 2020
“Is there a potential U.K. offer of help to be made here?,” he asked in another tweet on the issue.
Opportunity for the new Office for Talent. Is there a potential U.K. offer of help to be made here? https://t.co/K5bmNicciH
— Jo Johnson (@JoJohnsonUK) July 7, 2020
Physicist Brian Cox retweeted Johnson’s post and called it a “very good idea.”
“We should aim to attract the International students who will have to leave the US to UK Universities. This will help the students, send a clear signal that we are open and welcoming and help our economy,” Cox wrote.
Also read: US move asking foreign students to leave is arbitrary, injects uncertainty between strategic allies
Immigration authority asks foreign students to leave
Johnson’s comments come in the wake of the Trump administration asking foreign students in the US to leave the county if their schools go online. A notification issued Monday by the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), said that visas will not be issued to students enrolled in schools that go online.
“The U.S. Department of State will not issue visas to students enrolled in schools and/or programs that are fully online for the fall semester nor will U.S. Customs and Border Protection permit these students to enter the United States,” it stated.
The ICE also asked students, enrolled in various programmes in such universities and staying in the US, to “depart the country or take measures like transferring to a different school with in-person instruction to remain in lawful status”.
It added that otherwise students “could potentially face immigration consequences including, but not limited to, the initiation of removal proceedings”.
According to the non-profit organisation Institute of International Education, more than one million international students are enrolled in US universities.
Furthermore, the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) report of 2018 indicates that after China, India sent the highest number of students (2,51,290) to the US in 2017 and 2018.
Last month, the Trump administration had also temporarily suspended non-immigrant visas, like the H1B visas, till December.
Also read: ‘Surprised’ at US asking foreign students to leave, India could raise visa issue in talks today