FT社評 英國不應限制留學生

Theresa May, Britain’s home secretary, has barely disguised her ambition to succeed David Cameron as Conservative leader. To achieve this, she has worked hard to burnish her credentials with the Tory right. This has sometimes led her to take positions that appeal to backbench MPs but are much harder to square with Britain’s economic interest.

英國內政大臣特里薩•梅(Theresa May)幾乎從不掩飾其想接替戴維•卡梅倫(David Cameron)成爲保守黨(Conservative)領袖的野心。爲達成這一目的，她一直努力讓自己在保守黨右翼面前顯得更具資格。有時，這使得她採取了取悅後座議員的立場，但卻很難與英國的經濟利益保持一致。

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

在移民問題上，梅放任自己的個人政治策略凌駕於合理政策之上。最新的表現就是，其辦公室上週末提出了一個計劃，針對的目標是那些從英國大學畢業、希望留在英國工作的留學生。

As is well known, the principle of free movement across the EU means the UK can do nothing to stop European citizens working in Britain. If they are to cut migration, the Conservatives therefore 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.

衆所周知，歐盟(EU)的公民自由遷移原則意味着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，保守黨必須限制歐盟以外國家的移民進入英國。於是從印度、中國和中東來的留學生日益成爲梅的目標。

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

這些留學生希望在英國的大學學習，其中部分吸引力在於，他們畢業後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到至少20500英鎊的要求，已經使得他們的願望更難實現。如今她更進一步。據她的顧問稱，這位內政大臣希望明年的保守黨競選綱領提議，非歐盟留學生必須在畢業後離開英國，而後再申請所需的任何新簽證。

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

接收留學生的學院和大學依法將必須監督留學生離境，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’s interest. Britain needs to do far more to attract students from China and India. Highly skilled immigrants are precisely the ones that a developed economy needs. Her idea would also harm British universities — one of the country’s few export successes. Ms May’s restrictions, and their accompanying rhetoric, have already seen university enrolments from India drop by almost 50 per cent.

梅的擬議計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。英國需要採取更多行動以吸引來自中國和印度的留學生。高技能移民正是發達經濟體所需要的羣體。她的提議也會損害英國的大學——這是英國少數幾個出口成功點之一。梅對留學生的限制以及隨之而來的言辭，已經使得高校入學的印度留學生大幅減少了將近50%。

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

英國政府應該確保留學生在畢業後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 recently made a conciliatory speech, stressing the contribution migrants make to the UK. Ms May’s intervention is a piece of low politics. Her cabinet colleagues should treat it with the disdain it deserves.

保守黨已經明智地給移民問題降溫。卡梅倫近期做出了安撫性的發言，強調了移民對英國做出的貢獻。梅的介入是一個低級的政治策略。其他內閣成員理應對此不屑一顧，這是它應得的。