Head of Cambridge University criticizes UK immigration policy

The head of one of the UK’s leading universities has spoken out against government targets to curb immigration.

Speaking at an event organized by the Leadership Foundation for Higher Education, Cambridge University vice-chancellor Sir Leszek Borysiewicz criticized the government specifically for including overseas students in its migration targets, as well as more generally the tone of the immigration debate.

In a paper accompanying the event, Sir Leszek writes that: “One of the biggest threats currently facing UK universities is the issue of international movement and controls on immigration … The need for talented people with the right skills, knowledge and expertise, is a major issue for all large institutions and businesses but is particularly critical for world-class universities.”

Criticizing the way immigration is discussed in the UK, he adds: “It is clear that we cannot let political short-sightedness stand in the way of UK universities. The future of our higher education sector cannot be decided by an intemperate, ill-defined and ill-informed debate on immigration. The UK—and the world—needs to promote the success of our universities.”

Drawing on his own experience growing up as the child of Polish immigrants, Sir Leszek writes: “The welcome that my family received in the UK, and the education that I benefitted from, allowed me to aspire to the highest level of excellence, and instilled in me a belief that access to education should be universal, cutting through national, cultural and class differences.”

UK prime minister David Cameron announced in 2011 that the government would reduce net migration to “tens of thousands” a year. The government has since acknowledged this target is unlikely to be met.

IZA World of Labor author Arnaud Chevalier has written for us about the importance of attracting foreign students. He writes that: “Empirical evidence suggests that concerns about brain drain—that is, the emigration of highly qualified workers—are overblown and that student migration can positively affect economic growth in both sending and receiving countries.”

Read more on this story at BBC News and Times Higher Education.

Related articles:
How to attract foreign students by Arnaud Chevalier
University study abroad and graduates’ employability by Giorgio Di Pietro