FOI reference: FOI-2026-3420
You asked
I would like information for the period 1 January 24 to current date.
I request all correspondence, notes, reports, documents, records in all forms including printed and digital media pertaining to or mentioning the categorisation of international students as temporary migrants.
We said
Thank you for your Freedom of Information request.
Within the period you specified (1 January 2024 to the present), the Office for National Statistics (ONS) undertook an engagement exercise regarding user needs for a potential additional international net migration estimate that excludes international students. While this work did not address or discuss the categorisation of international students as temporary migrants, you may find the material from this exercise helpful. The details are available on the ONS Website: Net migration and international students: user needs.
As part of the exercise, which ran from 10 January 2025 to 28 February 2025, we sought feedback on three options for producing an additional estimate. International students who remain in the UK for 12 months or more meet the United Nations definition of long-term international migrants and are therefore included in our standard estimates of net migration. The engagement aimed to understand whether there is user need for an alternative estimate based on a definition that excludes international students.
As regards the information you have requested, this can be found in the associated download. Some personal data has been redacted under s.40(2) of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOIA), as disclosure would contravene data protection principles.
The collated information largely relates to correspondence with external organisations and individuals. Associated documentation and presentations that have been included also contain summary information on international students that is not related to categorising them as temporary migrants.
If you have any queries, please do not hesitate to contact pop.info@ons.gov.uk.