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ISSUE 746 14 JUN 2023 exepose.com @Exepose
THE UNIVERSITY OF EXETER’S INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER SINCE 1987
Students voice concerns on the Renter’s Reform Bill Image: Jaggery, Geograph
Students’ Guild celebrates Pride week Page 5
Anabel Costa-Ferreira and Livvy Mason-Myhill Editors-in-Chief
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TUDENTS have voiced concerns surrounding the new Renter’s Reform Bill, with worries that “this will likely make the Exeter property market even more competitive than it currently is and may push prices higher
Summer on a budget
Harry Craig and Oliver Lamb Deputy Editor and News Editor
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Images (top to bottom): Anabel Costa-Ferreira, Tumisa Pixabay, Wallpaper Flare
Given these measures, the NRLA warned that there might be “chaos” if there was any doubt about whether properties will be accessible at the start of the academic year. However, the National Union of Students warned that if reforms were not implemented, students would fall into an “underclass.” Lily Margaroli, Guild President, stated that the aims of this bill will include “increasing the standards of rental properties”. She further suggested that the Guild have however had “some concerns about the removal of fixed-term tenancy agreements and the detrimental impact this could have on the ability of students to have flexible accommodation options”. The Students’ Guild have highlighted that they are working with the University to offer advice through the Move Smart campaign. The Guild are also working with the University on their plans to create additional student housing on campus to ease the pressure. Margaroli emphasised that the Guild will “continue to monitor the impact of this reform” as well as “engage with key stakeholders to mitigate any potential negative impacts”. Continued on page 4
New immigration policy announced for post graduate students
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C’mon Barbie let’s go party!
at a faster rate”. This is alongside worries that introducing “tenancies with no fixed end date will exploit more students financially and leave them with even less of their maintenance loan.” Landlords have warned that the Renters Reform Bill’s planned proposals to end fixed-term tenancies in England could “decimate” the student housing
sector. In order to ensure that properties are not vacant outside of term times, landlords that rent to students often give a 12-month fixed-term lease. However, rolling tenancies, in which rent is paid weekly or monthly with no set end date, will replace fixed-term tenancies under the Renters Reform Bill, which was put forward to Parliament at the end of May. As a result of the revisions, tenants will only need to give two months’ notice before vacating a property. As part of the measure, which only applies to England, so-called “no-fault evictions” are abolished. Instead, landlords would only be permitted to evict renters under specific conditions, such as when they want to sell the house or when they or a close relative wants to move in. The only student housing that will be immune from these changes is purpose-built accommodation, which was constructed with students in mind. According to the National Residential Landlords Association (NRLA), landlords would be dependent on sitting tenants giving notice to vacate a property in plenty of time for new students to move in under the current rules.
ONCERNS have been raised that new immigration rules for postgraduate students could have severe consequences for British universities, including Exeter. Last month, Home Secretary Suella Braverman announced a controversial package of measures aimed at international students, including the removal of the right for international students to bring dependants with them to the UK. Under current rules, postgraduate students coming to study in the UK are entitled to apply for visas for their partner or children under 18. However, this right will be removed for students not on research programmes, as the government attempts to reduce migration figures. This followed the announcement by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) that net migration was at 606,000, the highest figure ever recorded, despite government targets to
reduce migration to the “tens of thousands.” Students were a considerable contributor, with 485,758 student visas granted in 2022, alongside 135,788 visas issued to dependants of postgraduate students. The latter figure marked a 750 per cent increase since 2019. The highest number of visas issued to dependants in 2022 were to Nigerian nationals, with 60,923, followed by 38,990 to Indian nationals. Labour has pledged not to oppose these new measures on the grounds that “proper enforcement [is] long overdue.” However, Exeter’s Labour MP Ben Bradshaw was critical of the plans in Parliament, expressing his concern that this policy would discriminate against students from Nigeria and South Asia, whilst making British universities more dependent on Chinese students. Other measures targeted at international postgraduate students to reduce net migration include a ban on students switching into work before their studies have been completed, and a review on the funds students must have to demonstrate they can look after themselves in the UK.
The University of Exeter itself is home to 7,400 international students as of the 2022-23 academic year, a 62 per cent rise since 2018-19. Many of these students fear they will be affected by the new laws, although the government has been keen to emphasise that these new laws would not
be applied retrospectively. An international postgraduate student told Exeposé that their master’s programme “has multiple students with spouses and families, including myself ” and that “if my wife wasn’t allowed to live here with me, I would choose a school in a different country, as would many others” Continued on page 5 Image: Harry Craig