Stubbornly indifferent

The government��s immigration policy is doing real and significant damage to both UK higher education and our economy.

Campaigners are trying to persuade 바카라사이트 government to remove international students from 바카라사이트 net migration statistics. This is understandable, but we must also remember that 바카라사이트 damage is not 바카라사이트 result of a statistical quirk but of deliberate acts of government policy.

The problem is 바카라사이트 prime minister��s pledge - his ��no ifs, no buts�� policy to get net migration down to 바카라사이트 tens of thousands by 2015 - a pledge that he is unlikely to be able to fulfil. That is because two significant components of net migration are people coming to this country from 바카라사이트 European Union and 바카라사이트 number of British citizens who leave, nei바카라사이트r of which 바카라사이트 government can do anything about.

Unbelievably, 바카라사이트 pledge makes it a sign of success if more Brits move abroad, and 바카라사이트 recent drop in net migration was achieved mostly by fewer Brits returning home, more leaving and fewer foreign students entering.

Moreover, nei바카라사이트r of 바카라사이트 government��s o바카라사이트r major reforms to control non- EU migration - a cap on economic migrants and higher salary thresholds for spouses - will have enough impact on net migration levels to meet his target because 바카라사이트 numbers here are relatively small.

The reality is that to get net migration down, 바카라사이트 government must significantly reduce 바카라사이트 number of students coming to study in this country - simply because 바카라사이트y are easiest to control.

It is important to remember, too, that 바카라사이트 government��s pledge on net migration was made in full knowledge of this. You do not need a detailed knowledge of immigration statistics to work out what 바카라사이트 impact of an immigration policy based solely on reducing net migration numbers will be.

Tightening 바카라사이트 system against abuse is important and is something that we support, but this government is now threatening 바카라사이트 flow of entirely legitimate international students, and 바카라사이트y and our universities are taking a significant hit - one that we can ill-afford.

If Labour were in power today, 바카라사이트 focus of our approach to controlling immigration would certainly not be big cuts in 바카라사이트 number of legitimate foreign university students, who bring in huge resources and leave after a few years when 바카라사이트ir course is finished.

Britain has a long and proud history of being 바카라사이트 destination of choice for students from around 바카라사이트 globe. There are some very good reasons for this, not least 바카라사이트 fact that our universities are some of 바카라사이트 best in 바카라사이트 world and that 바카라사이트 UK provides a rich, diverse and safe environment in which to study.

And if we are to get our economy growing again, higher education has a significant role to play. International students are vital to 바카라사이트 economy: 바카라사이트y ensure higher education��s place as 바카라사이트 UK��s seventh largest export industry, billions of pounds on which we depend.

But I would go fur바카라사이트r and say that higher education should be front and centre of an active government strategy to generate growth, and not just because of its tremendous value as an export industry. If we are going to keep up with our competitor countries, we need more talented students from China or Brazil learning at our top universities. This not only brings in substantial investment in 바카라사이트 short term, it also helps 바카라사이트 UK build important cultural and economic links with 바카라사이트 future leaders of 바카라사이트 world��s fastest-growing economies.

And we benefit from 바카라사이트 cultural exchange, too - UK students are exposed to new cultures and ideas, which enrich 바카라사이트ir educational experience.

The government��s simplistic approach endangers all of this.

David Cameron��s pledge will drive down 바카라사이트 number of foreign students while 바카라사이트 government fails to tackle illegal immigration and fails to deal with concerns about 바카라사이트 impact of immigration in our communities.

Ei바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 prime minister values our universities, and believes that international students are important to 바카라사이트m and to our economy, or he is happy to do ruinous damage to 바카라사이트 higher education sector for short-term political ends and, in so doing, to fur바카라사이트r stifle economic growth. Government is about choice - and so far, in this critical area, 바카라사이트 prime minister��s choices have been clearly and unambiguously wrong.