London shrinking

Londons iconic skyline,dominated by the Big Ben and the London Eye,has long symbolised a dream destination for the young student,whatever her place of birth. Increasingly,however,as the British governments controversial decision to revoke London Metropolitan Universitys LMUs licence to instruct non-EU students suggests,new government policies designed to clamp down on student visas are denting Britains appeal as a world-class university destination.

It is perhaps unsurprising that an unpopular government is trying to use the hot-button issue of immigration to its advantage,especially since that is one of the few issues on which it appears to poll well with voters. What is surprising is that the drive to limit net migration to the UK to below 1,00,000 is playing out in the universities. The David Cameron government,like the Gordon Brown government before it,has made student visa rules stricter. It has also curtailed the right to work after graduation and implemented rules requiring universities to monitor foreign students and ensure that they do not work. LMU fell foul of the latter rule,although it insists that the rule lacks clarity.

All this confusion is bound to hurt Britains allure for prospective students,who could just as easily head to the US,Australia or Canada. Indeed,reports suggest that British universities have seen a 20-30 per cent drop in Indian student enrolment for the upcoming academic year. Given that UK universities earn around 7 billion pounds a year from foreign students,and that domestic students are subsidised by the higher fees foreign students pay,this drive seems particularly wrong-headed.