Mark Field, Member of Parliament for the constituency containing Imperial College London, Prince's Gardens and Wilson House, has co-sponsored an Early Day Motion in the House of Commons, recognising the contributions of international students to the UK's higher education sector and society as a whole.

Imperial College Union welcomes this Early Day Motion and the continued support of local MP Mark Field for the cause of our international students.

The thousands of international students at Imperial College London contribute greatly to our vibrant student community - one of the most active and diverse student bodies in the UK. Many of Imperial's most active Clubs, Societies and Projects are run by international students, and we benefit from international student leaders and volunteers. International students and international academics also help maintain Imperial's status as a globally-respected institution and ensure its financial viability.

The motion reads as follows:

That this House

• Recognises the enormous cultural, academic and economic contribution that international students studying at UK universities make to the country
• Is concerned at the dramatic drop in students enrolling to study at UK universities from some of the UK's major international trading partners
• Believes that the public does not generally view international students to be migrants and does not wish to see their number reduced
• And urges the Government to exclude university students from efforts to bear down on immigration including by removing university students from any target to reduce net migration.  

The motion's primary sponsor was Paul Blomfield, Labour MP for Sheffield (and former general manager of Sheffield Students' Union), and the co-sponsors were Mark Field MP (Con), Andrew Stunell (Lib Dem), Adrian Bailey (Lab), Richard Bacon (Con) and Charles Kennedy (Lib Dem).

So far the motion has been supported by five Conservative, 21 Labour, 20 Lib Dem and six other Members of Parliament.

Don't forget - if you are an international student from a country with a history of Commonwealth membership, you may be able to vote in the upcoming UK General Election.

Early Day Motions are motions put by Members of Parliament to the House of Commons. They are rarely debated, but are useful ways for MPs to make clear their stance on an issue and demonstrate the support they have from their fellow MPs.