ONS has published a progress update on work to develop a better understanding of migration data on students moving to and from the UK. The report covers the work done so far to assess the suitability of the International Passenger Survey for providing the information required to reliably inform government policy, and to explore other potential sources.
Emma Rourke, ONS Director for Public Policy Analysis, said:
"The demand for more detailed information on international student numbers has increased as migration policy has become a prominent area of debate during recent years, and particularly in the context of the result of the referendum on EU membership.
"We have been working closely with other government departments to assess the quality of existing data sources and to develop new sources of information based on administrative data. As the principal independent producer of official statistics for the UK, it is most important that we are sure we're producing the high quality analysis the UK really needs as society and technology changes. Therefore, we need access to the right, most timely data to produce this information."
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