UK immigration rules an “obstacle” to progress, says Nobel laureate
Nobel Prize winner Professor John O’Keefe has voiced concerns that the United Kingdom’s (UK) policies on immigration are risking the nation’s scientific standing.
The 2014 Nobel laureate in Physiology and Medicine is himself a dual British-US citizen working at University College London, UK, having started his career at McGill University, Canada.
As director of the Sainsbury Wellcome Centre at University College London, he is in the process of recruiting 150 neuroscientists from around the world to support new research, and describes the immigration rules as "a very, very large obstacle."
He said: "We should be thinking hard about making Britain a more welcoming place […] Science is international, the best scientists can come from anywhere."
These comments coincide with Prime Minister David Cameron’s pledge to reduce net migration to the UK to less than 100,000 a year by 2015, though this may necessarily be achieved by more careful immigrant selection.
Abdurrahman B. Aydemir discusses the benefits of skill-based immigration policy, which can be used to respond to specific needs in the receiving economy. He finds that high-skilled immigrants can boost innovation to support long-term growth.
However, Aydemir warns that these selection measures should accompany strong integration policies to ease the transfer of foreign human capital, and Massimiliano Tani notes that these selection systems do not guarantee favorable outcomes for migrants.
Nevertheless, the UK Home Office told the BBC that "the number of skilled people coming to the UK to fill skilled vacancies is on the rise," despite tough action on people who abuse the migration system.
A new exceptional talent visa makes it easier for thought leaders to enter the country to work.
The mobility of skilled workers may be further aided by increased international mobility of students, as Arnaud Chevalier discusses. He finds that student migration can foster long-term economic growth in both sending and receiving countries, by opening access to high-quality education and skill-building across the globe.
Read more here.
Related articles:
Skill-based immigration, economic integration, and economic performance, by Abdurrahman B. Aydemir
Using a point system for selecting immigrants, by Massimiliano Tani
How to attract foreign students, by Arnaud Chevalier