Yvette Cooper, the shadow home secretary, sketched out Labour鈥檚 approach to international student visas during a major speech on immigration policy today.

Ms Cooper criticised the government鈥檚 target to reduce net migration, but offered no concrete detail of how Labour would implement its own action to address immigration. As a result, there was no firm plan outlined on international university students.

She gave no comment on the recommendation from five Parliamentary committees that the government withdraw overseas students from the net migrant target, a recommendation rejected by the government.

Ms Cooper said in the speech, delivered at the Institute for Public Policy Research in London, that she had heard immigration concerns from 鈥減eople who have seen rapid change in their communities鈥� and are 鈥渨orried they don鈥檛 know their neighbours any more鈥�. But she had also heard from 鈥減eople worried about jobs being lost at the local university because fewer international students have come鈥�.

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On the net migrant target, Ms Cooper said the government鈥檚 鈥渙verall approach to targets is too simplistic 鈥� and changes are needed鈥�.

She highlighted the fact that the target does not solely look at immigration, as it includes the outflow of British citizens, which makes up 鈥渢wo thirds of the drop in net migration鈥�. 鈥淎nd it seems a large proportion of the rest is students,鈥� she added. 鈥淵et foreign students bring in investment and jobs to our country 鈥� a total of 拢8bn a year.鈥�

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But Ms Cooper pointed out that anything outside the net migration measure was 鈥渂eing ignored 鈥� even if it causes serious problems鈥�.

鈥淔or example legitimate university students are included in the target even though they bring billions [of pounds] into Britain 鈥� and those are being squeezed,鈥� she said.

鈥淵et student visitor visas aren鈥檛 included 鈥� and growing abuse in that category is being ignored.鈥�

Ms Cooper said ministers 鈥渟hould be working with universities and local councils to make sure we can sustain more high-skilled graduate students from fast growing economies like China and Brazil鈥�. But she added that 鈥渟tronger checks are needed on shorter-term student visitor visas鈥� which she said were up by 30,000 a year since the election in 2010.

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Student visitors are allowed to come to the UK for six months (or 11 months if they will be studying an English language course).

john.morgan@tsleducation.com