Mayor of London Boris Johnson has voiced concerns that UK visa and immigration policy is damaging to the British economy

The Conservative-led coalition Government has pledged to reduce net migration to ‘tens of thousands’ by the time of the next election, much to the indignation of London’s enigmatic mayor, Boris Johnson.

During 2012 the Government has removed the post study work right of graduating international students, added salary thresholds for those wanting to stay or bring a partner to the UK and clamped down on educational institutions who have been found failing in their due diligence. All these measures are aimed at making the UK more and more difficult for non-Europeans to visit or settle in.

However, these policies fail to recognise that international education is worth as much as £15 billion a year to the British economy and the UK is a world leader in education. The British Universities have been reeling from the Governments non-compromising stance and have appealed repeatedly for the meaningless and damaging immigration rules to be reviewed.

The Government’s changes have been criticised and fought at each step and now the director general of the Confederation of British Industry (CBI), John Cridland, has said the multi-billion dollar education market is being damaged. He stated “There’s been so much rhetoric that it’s creating its own reality, it’s putting people off“, adding that a ‘massive business opportunity‘ was being squandered by the British Government.

Mr Cridland’s thoughts were echoed today by Boris Johnson, Mayor of London, who was on his way to visit India, one of the countries worst affected by the UKBA immigration policy on students.

Mr Johnson said “We are losing a massive business opportunity here which is completely crazy for the UK market, which is brilliant at higher education, to be closing itself off from some of the best and brightest students from around the world“.

One of the biggest events in the immigration debate to date has been the suspension of the London Metropolitan University’s right to sponsor international students and Mr Johnson says the changes’ effects are intensified in the capital.

The mayor of London went on to say that “The immigration changes are not in the interests of London and the UK economy. The area where London is going to continue to grow is the service industry…and when ICT companies and banks cannot get the professionals they need to come easily, whether it’s moving around the firms or joining firms, to London, then that stops the economic machine, and it starts being a block to growth”

Mansouri & Son Solicitors are a firm of Solicitors regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority. We are a truly independent firm of immigration law specialists and can assist clients in all aspects of UK immigration law and policy