New Zealand is slowly reopening its borders to international students, after it confirmed 1,000 students could return to campuses from April.

The country has imposed some of the world¡¯s toughest travel restrictions since last March, including a ban on foreign travellers that left thousands of international students unable to return to campus.

That decisive action has been widely praised, with many pundits suggesting the strict border controls explain New Zealand¡¯s low coronavirus case rates; it has registered fewer than 2,500 cases since the start of the pandemic and just 25 deaths.

However, the ban has badly affected the country¡¯s universities, whose 34,000 international students contribute about NZ$5 billion (?2.7 billion) to its economy and support around 45,000 jobs, according to figures for 2019 from Universities New Zealand. Some 6,000 people with current student visas were thought to be stranded offshore.

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With just a handful of coronavirus cases reported since the start of January, the country¡¯s education minister, Chris Hipkins, has announced a staged return of international students who have been left stranded overseas for almost a year.

¡°This border exception delivers on a part of the recovery plan for international education,¡± said the minister in a statement.

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¡°It underscores the government¡¯s commitment to the international education sector, which is important to the country¡¯s long-term recovery from Covid-19.¡±

The 1,000 students are estimated to be worth about NZ$49 million to the country¡¯s economy, the government said.

Some 300 students will allowed to return to campus in April, with a further 700 students arriving throughout the year to enable managed isolation to take place. All of those returning must have studied in New Zealand in 2019 or 2020 towards their current qualification.

Everyone entering New Zealand will follow all Covid-19 health and safety requirements, including a 14-day stay in managed isolation and quarantine facilities.

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The decision was welcomed by Universities New Zealand, whose chief executive, Chris Whelan, said the announcement ¡°reflects the important contribution international students make to universities, the wider community and the economy¡±.

¡°We are hopeful that we may be able to see further border exemptions in 2021, allowing our students to return and welcoming new ones as soon as it is safe to do so,¡± said Mr Whelan.

jack.grove@timeshighereducation.com