One of the main thing I took from it is how many people are moving across the world. Lots of reasons fir it but ultimately seeking a better life. Not a good look for wherever they are coming from I guess.
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I wouldnât be surprised if India and China are pretty high in the numbers who make up the students/graduates that move onto work visas. These countries are not Switzerland or Norway but they are relatively âgoodâ looking. However, they are also the most populous and where competition is fierce. Both countries also have very well set routes of how to do this, i.e. go through the hoops to get the visas and off ramp strategies once in the UK.
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Iâm trying to find stats on this because it may be that the visa counts are skewed by visas now being required for students from EU countries.
Iâm not sure thatâs the case. I found this document which seems to indicate that the increase is from India, Nigeria, Pakistan, and Bangladesh:
This document is related to work visas:
It mentions that the largest number of extended visas are for people previously on study visas. It also says that the number of sponsors for work and study visas has gone from around 30K in 2019 to 120K today.
You canât infer from that, that they are using this as a route to bypass work visas.
There has definitely been a huge movement since Brexit, but they are government choices. (At least the previous government as their isnât enough data to judge the current one).
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I found an up to date version of the study document:
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This was what I thought, i.e. that there seemed to have been a government push for a non-EU influx post Brexit. It is an odd dynamic that I cannot quite put my finger on as to why it was needed. The only thing I can think of is to cushion the impact of universities having less EU student coming in.
As I suspected the China and India numbers are the two highest.
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wow - seems quite a large number. What is the protest about - specifically I mean? Iâm too disconnected to know the ins and outs - only how it looks superficiallyâŚ
Takinâ our country back, innit.
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Clearly America leads the way in the unpleasant rise of the extreme right, but I am surprised as an expat about what has happened back home, from Brexit on.
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Interesting comment about the visa switching. That isnt really an option in the us - people on student visa are explicitly barred from working and are required to demonstrate an ability to pay their way through their studies to be granted the visa. They can separately apply for a work visa but options are really limited and already being in the country has no bearing on thatâŚthere is no switching over it is just a completely different process that does not give any preference for people already physically present.
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Having seen the stuff on social media from just before Brexit, Iâm not surprised. Itâs been on the cards for a while due to those companies figuring out how whipping people up into a frenzy can generate more interaction and money. Then we have the Covid lockdowns, where a large section of society couldnât leave their homes, and were glued to whatever these algorithms churned out. This has all been accelerated by foreign adversaries using bots to amplify the effects. Now we have two channels (GB News and Talk) whipping up hate on a daily basis and have established themselves, while the mainstream outlets (Sky, BBC, GMB/ITV) are tripping over themselves to deliver similar content (debate, but with two absolute extremes debating issues). Now we just have to sprinkle the frosting on top of this turd cake - the cost of living - where people are tired of not seeing much gain from their income, with prices continually rising, and they turn for their dopamine hits and rage online, where the algorithms on social media platforms truly deliver. Amazing how people can find themselves so angry over hotels, but cannot gather themselves to protest over energy bills.
This issue is spreading across the planet, but the UK is following the US towards a societal brain rot, where people want instant answers and easy fixes, otherwise, youâre finished. When Farage is standing on the steps of No.10 in 2029, the turdification of the UK will be complete, and itâll be met with cheers and applause from the zombified electorate.
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I left about 3 years ago, in part due to brexit and I cannot say Iâm surprised.
It is not to say Iâve landed in some utopian paradise but as I havenât lived here for long and am far from mastering the language, I notice the ugliness less and can get on with growing up my children in ignorance. I cannot see a path that will offer an upward trajectory in the long run - but may be my kids (or theirs) with figure it out!
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Elon Musk addresses the âunite the kingdomâ march crowd via video link
Elon Musk has addressed crowd attending the âunite the kingdomâ march, via video link. He spoke to march leader, far-right activist Tommy Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, over the video call.
Musk claimed that a âdissolution of parliamentâ and a âchange of governmentâ is needed in the UK. He said: âI really think that thereâs got to be a change of government in Britain. You canât â we donât have another four years, or whenever the next election is, itâs too long. Somethingâs got to be done. Thereâs got to be a dissolution of parliament and a new vote held.â
Musk told the march rally: âMy appeal is to British common sense, which is to look carefully around you and say âIf this continues, what world will you be living in?â
âThis is a message to the reasonable centre, the people who ordinarily wouldnât get involved in politics, who just want to live their lives. They donât want that, theyâre quiet, they just go about their business.
âMy message is to them: if this continues, that violence is going to come to you, you will have no choice. Youâre in a fundamental situation here. Whether you choose violence or not, violence is coming to you. You either fight back or you die, thatâs the truth, I think.â
The X owner told the crowd âthe left are the party of murderâ, referring to the death of Charlie Kirk. He said: âThereâs so much violence on the left, with our friend Charlie Kirk getting murdered in cold blood this week and people on the left celebrating it openly. The left is the party of murder and celebrating murder. I mean, let that sink in for a minute, thatâs who weâre dealing with here.â
Musk also said that the British public are âscared to exercise their free speechâ and claimed the BBC was âcomplicit in the destruction of Britainâ.
When they finished their conversation, Robinson said: âNot only are we in the fight right now, but weâre on the advance thanks to free speech being fought for, for us, by Elon Musk.â
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Musk, an American citizen, born and raised in SA to a Canadian immigrant family.
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Elon Musk is a class A gobshite, isnât he?
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He hasnât got a fucking clue what heâs talking about.
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Only 5,000 counter protesters is a fucking scandal.
pretty sure theres some heavy billionaire funding behind Robinson
I found another document on that here:
Itâs probably just down to finance. They make far more money from international students than domestic ones, so they have presumably been pushing that
There is a funding crisis in higher education as it stands.
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With Farage being one of his mates, I would suspect Trump is a supporter as well, and he probably would have had links to Epstein had he not been locked up and knocked off in prison.
I think that describes the sort of person Stephen Yaxley-Lennon is
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It is a sad state of affairs regarding higher education. It seems to go back to the late 80s early 90s, when it started to become a rite of passage rather than a viable path to a deeper involvement with your chosen field.
I went through Dundee University from 1993 to 2000 and at that time Dundee was one of the premier destinations for biological sciences. Between the SCRI and MRC protein phosphorylation units it was a magnet for scientists, and so students, from all over the UK, Europe and indeed the world. The Welcome Trust subsequently invested a princely sum over the 1990s and 2000s which facilitated fantastic, cutting edge research. To an extent great research continues to be carried out there but the state of Dundee University, compared to the late 80s through to the 2000s, is a poor reflection of its former self and much of the attraction for newer scientists is lost. The sad state of affairs is more broadly seen in other institutions, the Paterson in Manchester being another victim of the rotâŚ
There was something unique, world beating and quintessentially British about these institutions which, we have (mis)managed to turn into a cheap fare ground attractionâŚ
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