A recent announcement has said that all students from outside the European Union are to be charged an extra £50 for visas.

Hazel Blears, Communities Secretary, revealed that the two year scheme will raise £70million that will help fund more police support and translators for the country.

NUS National President Wes Streeting criticises this, and said: “It is outrageous to suggest that international students should pay £50 more for their visa. Coupled with the inflation busting increase announced previously, this represents a hike of almost 50%.”

Alison Denton, who works at the International Department at UCLan says:

“With the introduction of any new immigration process, particularly on the scale of the Points Based System, there is bound to be apprehension amongst its potential users.”

“It is very regrettable that the government has chosen to implement such a significant price increase at the precise time that we are trying to challenge negative perceptions about the change in UK immigration policy and we are all striving to make the UK seem more welcoming to international students.”

Critics feel that this increase will not have much of an effect and if anything, could stir an anti-immigrant uproar.

As well as contributing to our services through their taxes, migrant’s increased fees will go towards Local councils, police forces and health authorities, where they will be able to decide what the money is needed for.

There are concerns that migrants could be targeted for social unrest whilst unemployment figures continue to rise and job vacancies fall.

Mr Streeting says: “International students enrich our colleges and universities, as well as contributing more than £8.5 billion to the UK’s economy. It is in our interest to encourage more students from overseas to study at our universities, not put them off with punitive visa charges.”

The Local Authorities need £250 million extra a year in order for them to cope with migrant situations and problems, as well as to help integration.

Hazel Blears feels: “Where there are impacts as a result of migrants coming in on the local community, we think it’s fair that the migrants themselves should be asked to pay a contribution towards those impacts.”

Mrs Blears also acknowledges that migrants have contributed to services through the taxes they pay, however feels that the increase of visas will provide extra money to “ease the transition” for areas that have witnessed a bit influx in a short period of time.

There are concerns with the Institute for Public Policy Research that the proposal could stir up anti-immigrant feelings and problems could arise.