"Theresa May to restrict entry of foreign students to the UK". This may be a strange issue for the first post in this blog. More so because I support this apparently illiberal view. The fact is that all immigration should be controlled and if someone comes to the UK on a student visa, then they have no right to stay on completion of their education, illegally or not.
I don't believe an argument exists to ignore illegal immigration, so I won't try. But even for legal students, a case should be made for them to remain in the UK based on value to the economy. And if others have educated themselves abroad they should be allowed to compete equally; there is nothing to argue that we should support UK-educated foreign students versus those who are foreign-educated. And I see no problem with asking anyone wishing to live and work here to speak our language. This is nothing to do with being liberal or otherwise; it is merely practicable and realistic.
An open (liberal) border is fine when labour markets are genuinely open and not distorted by differences in welfare and political systems. But these differences mean that individual decisions about where people want to live are not based on labour economics alone. Not that I am asking for the destruction of the welfare state; it compensates for distortions of our un-free market economy and frankly I don't think I would like to live in a society where the less able live in poverty and social dis-harmony threatens the freedoms we enjoy.
I love the multicultural aspects of living in London, one of the great world cities. It is amusing when acquaintances from elsewhere in the country arrive in London and are shocked by the fact that "no-one on the tube is speaking English". But the economic reality is that those who want to live in the UK should be able first to demonstrate their economic value or financial independence, as well and accepting our social and moral standards.
Have a good day friends.
