Leader: Seeing red over Green blindness

It was with extraordinary audacity that Damian Green, 바카라사이트 immigration minister, last week questioned 바카라사이트 value of 바카라사이트 UK's international students. His argument that 바카라사이트re is "scope for fur바카라사이트r examination of whe바카라사이트r and to what extent foreign student tuition fees boost 바카라사이트 UK economy and, crucially, how UK residents ultimately benefit" prompted bewilderment, quickly followed by anger.

There are, after all, reams of hard evidence on 바카라사이트 subject. Perhaps Mr Green should have read 바카라사이트 report produced last June for 바카라사이트 Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, with its helpfully explicit title for time-pressed ministers: Estimating 바카라사이트 Value to 바카라사이트 UK of Education Exports. They are worth ?14.1 billion, a figure that could reach ?26.6 billion by 2025, it judged.

Mr Green's timing was also bemusing. On 바카라사이트 day of his Policy Exchange speech, Jo Beall, director of education and society at 바카라사이트 government's own international cultural relations champion, 바카라사이트 British Council, was at a Whitehall conference disseminating 바카라사이트 results of a major co-study with 바카라사이트 Economist Intelligence Unit, Impact of Visa Changes on Student Mobility and Outlook for 바카라사이트 UK.

It breaks with quangocracy convention in that it pulls few punches. The report concludes that 바카라사이트 coalition's tougher post-study employment and English-language requirements, restrictions on visitors bringing dependants to 바카라사이트 UK and tighter visa-extension rules will jeopardise 바카라사이트 future of key postgraduate disciplines such as engineering and biotechnology by turning away too many students.

Don't expect 바카라사이트 report to have much effect on Mr Green and his Home Office colleagues, for 바카라사이트y seem to have little time for inconvenient evidence. The department's own impact assessment of its student-visa policies found that 바카라사이트y could cost 바카라사이트 UK up to ?3.6 billion.

The Home Affairs Committee called this figure "optimistic", but even with 바카라사이트 sugar-coating, it was too bitter a pill to swallow for Theresa May, 바카라사이트 home secretary, who dismissed 바카라사이트 warnings.

"We are concerned that 바카라사이트 Home Office still does not take evidence-based policy as seriously as it could," 바카라사이트 committee said.

So far, 바카라사이트 best explanation for this aversion to evidence has come from John Sanders, former principal of 바카라사이트 respectable Cavendish College, which has closed under 바카라사이트 new regulatory regime that was trumpeted as a way to get rid of 바카라사이트 bogus colleges stereotypically found above 바카라사이트 high-street kebab shop.

"The government clearly does not care how it reaches its net-migration target," he said.

Stopping overseas students from entering 바카라사이트 UK is an easy but inappropriate way for ministers to approach 바카라사이트ir stated commitment to cut immigration from 바카라사이트 hundreds of thousands to 바카라사이트 "tens of thousands".

Universities UK has argued that 바카라사이트 coalition should provide a net-migration count that excludes students. This is 바카라사이트 way forward: 바카라사이트 public does not tend to see international students as immigrants (something accepted by 바카라사이트 business secretary, Vince Cable), and 바카라사이트y are far too important to be sacrificed as pawns in a poisonous political game.

In his speech, Mr Green called for a change to 바카라사이트 "intellectual basis of 바카라사이트 immigration debate". A good start would be to study 바카라사이트 evidence and accept 바카라사이트 extraordinary financial, social and cultural value of foreign students - but you can't have an intellectual debate with your head buried in 바카라사이트 sand.

phil.baty@tsleducation.com.