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Mayor wants to attract more foreign students
13 May 2009Boris Johnson today opened a potential new split with Tory leaders by announcing plans to encourage more long-term migration by overseas students.
The Mayor, who has defied David Cameron by supporting an amnesty for illegal migrants, raised the idea of attracting more foreign students, despite growing pressure on university places, and suggested that greater efforts should be made to encourage them to stay on after their studies.
Although the proposal is not directly at odds with official Tory policy, which calls for an annual limit on migration from outside Europe, the Mayor's call is likely to prove uncomfortable for his colleagues in Westminster.
If the plan was successful, it could lead to more foreign graduates applying to stay in Britain at a time when a Tory government would be seeking to limit migration.
The Mayor's officials said his ideas, part of an economic development strategy announced today, would help to maintain London as the business capital of the world and prevent an over-reliance on the financial sector.
Unveiling further details, Mr Johnson's policy director Anthony Browne said the promoting London's medical services was one area the Mayor was interested in.
He said: “We are looking at areas where we currently have strengths and how we can play to them.
“For example Americans could encouraged to come over here for medical services in the same way that some Brits are going to India [for surrogacy] or elsewhere for plastic surgery.
“We have some of the top doctors in the world in London and they can be used as leverage for the economy.
“This is Boris's vision and it is very much in the early days but we are looking at lots of exciting options.”
Mr Browne also said a greater focus would be put on encouraging foreign students to come to the capital as they pay higher fees and could also be encouraged to stay.
The strategy also identifies other business sectors that could be used to promote the city including - law with four of the top six international law firms based in London, - tourism, with more international tourists than any other city in the world.
Mr Johnson launched the strategy today at the offices of Framestore, Europe's largest visual effects company.
The Oscar-winning company is renowned for its work on blockbuster movies like The Golden Compass and Quantum of Solace, as well as commercials for brands including Smirnoff.
Mr Johnson said: “London's openness and its highly skilled and flexible workforce means it has, for the last two hundred years, been at the forefront of economic developments. Now it is at a turning point in its history where it has the opportunity to use its energy, dynamism and diversity to excel as a world leading, world beating global city.
“We have an extraordinary talent to develop high tech and hugely creative industries that dominate the world. I want to build on that reputation to ensure we lead the pack as the world centre for creating the new technologies that will help to mitigate the increasing problem of climate change.
“Today is about establishing the right economic framework which will, in the coming years, see London setting the benchmark for successful, sustainable and prosperous large world cities.”
The strategy proposes establishing a Promote London Council' to build on work by the tourist agency Visit London, Think London, which encourages business to move to the capital, Study London, promoting higher education and Film London.
It also sets out the priority to make London a low carbon economy as soon as possible so that it can fully exploit opportunities to develop new technologies and low carbon industries and take a greater share of the potentially huge global market.
Together with Mr Johnson's London Plan and Transport Strategy the Economic Strategy will shape The Mayor's long term vision for London up until 2031.
