FT社評 英國不應(yīng)限制留學(xué)生

Theresa May, Britain’s home secretary, has barelydisguised her ambition to succeed David Cameronas Conservative leader. To achieve this, she hasworked hard to burnish her credentials with theTory right. This has sometimes led her to takepositions that appeal to backbench MPs but aremuch harder to square with Britain’s economicinterest.

英國內(nèi)政大臣特里薩•梅(Theresa May)幾乎從不掩飾其想接替戴維•卡梅倫(David Cameron)成為保守黨(Conservative)領(lǐng)袖的野心。為達(dá)成這一目的，她一直努力讓自己在保守黨右翼面前顯得更具資格。有時，這使得她采取了取悅后座議員的立場，但卻很難與英國的經(jīng)濟(jì)利益保持一致。

Immigration is one issue on which Ms May has allowed personal political tactics to trumpsensible policy. The latest sign of this is a proposal that emerged from her office over theweekend regarding foreign students who have graduated from British universities and want towork in the UK.

在移民問題上，梅放任自己的個人政治策略凌駕于合理政策之上。最新的表現(xiàn)就是，其辦公室上周末提出了一個計(jì)劃，針對的目標(biāo)是那些從英國大學(xué)畢業(yè)、希望留在英國工作的留學(xué)生。

As is well known, the principle of free movement across the EU means the UK can do nothingto stop European citizens working in Britain. If they are to cut migration, the Conservativestherefore must restrict entry for people from outside the EU. Hence, students from India,China and the Middle East are increasingly in Ms May’s sights.

眾所周知，歐盟(EU)的公民自由遷移原則意味著英國不能阻止歐洲公民在英國工作。因此，如果想要削減移民人數(shù)，保守黨必須限制歐盟以外國家的移民進(jìn)入英國。于是從印度、中國和中東來的留學(xué)生日益成為梅的目標(biāo)。

These individuals hope to study in UK universities, and part of the attraction is that they mightlater find a job in Britain. Ms May has already made this harder, insisting that applicants for awork visa must earn at least £20,500 a year. Now she is going further. According to heradvisers, the home secretary wants the next Conservative manifesto to propose that non-EUstudents must leave the UK after graduation before applying for a new visa of any kind.

這些留學(xué)生希望在英國的大學(xué)學(xué)習(xí)，其中部分吸引力在于，他們畢業(yè)后也許能在英國找一份工作。而梅對工作簽證的申請者年薪必須達(dá)到至少20500英鎊的要求，已經(jīng)使得他們的愿望更難實(shí)現(xiàn)。如今她更進(jìn)一步。據(jù)她的顧問稱，這位內(nèi)政大臣希望明年的保守黨競選綱領(lǐng)提議，非歐盟留學(xué)生必須在畢業(yè)后離開英國，而后再申請所需的任何新簽證。

Colleges and universities that sponsor foreign students would be legally required to overseetheir departure — and would be fined if they failed to do so.

接收留學(xué)生的學(xué)院和大學(xué)依法將必須監(jiān)督留學(xué)生離境，如果未能照做，將被處以罰款。

Ms May’s proposal may appeal to some on the Tory right but runs against the country’sinterest. Britain needs to do far more to attract students from China and India. Highly skilledimmigrants are precisely the ones that a developed economy needs. Her idea would also harmBritish universities — one of the country’s few export successes. Ms May’s restrictions, andtheir accompanying rhetoric, have already seen university enrolments from India drop byalmost 50 per cent.

梅的擬議計(jì)劃可能會迎合部分保守黨右翼人士，但卻與英國利益背道而馳。英國需要采取更多行動以吸引來自中國和印度的留學(xué)生。高技能移民正是發(fā)達(dá)經(jīng)濟(jì)體所需要的群體。她的提議也會損害英國的大學(xué)——這是英國少數(shù)幾個出口成功點(diǎn)之一。梅對留學(xué)生的限制以及隨之而來的言辭，已經(jīng)使得高校入學(xué)的印度留學(xué)生大幅減少了將近50%。

The government should ensure that foreign students do not stay in the UK illegally aftergraduation. But it is self-defeating to force them to leave immediately. Foreign graduates are indemand in the US and Europe, and will go somewhere more welcoming.

英國政府應(yīng)該確保留學(xué)生在畢業(yè)后不在非法情況下留在英國。但是，如果迫使他們立即離開，會適得其反。美國和歐洲都需要外國畢業(yè)生，這些人將去往更歡迎他們的地方。

The Conservatives have wisely lowered the temperature on immigration. Mr Cameron recentlymade a conciliatory speech, stressing the contribution migrants make to the UK. Ms May’sintervention is a piece of low politics. Her cabinet colleagues should treat it with the disdain itdeserves.

保守黨已經(jīng)明智地給移民問題降溫。卡梅倫近期做出了安撫性的發(fā)言，強(qiáng)調(diào)了移民對英國做出的貢獻(xiàn)。梅的介入是一個低級的政治策略。其他內(nèi)閣成員理應(yīng)對此不屑一顧，這是它應(yīng)得的。